Tattered Depravity
by ApocoDino
Summary: In the battle with Naraku, where Kikyou is to take her terminal blow, Kohaku makes an appearance. To the dismay of the group, things go horribly wrong faster than they could have imagined, with Kikyou being the center of this seemingly abysmal struggle. An unspoken wish is gripped by the unforgiving claws of fate, and and a heart is thrown out into the hands of time yet again.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to look at my first fan fiction! Any an all critiques are greatly appreciated, and I can't wait to hear what you think! If you are curious what any of the Japanese words mean, scroll to the bottom where you will find definitions and explanations plucked directly from Wikipedia. Also, if you find I've gone and mentioned something that is historically incorrect, please let me know. While I've done my best to do my homework on the time period, everyone makes mistakes, and I'd love to be able to fix them!

This fanfiction DOES NOT involve any hate for Kagome or her relationship with InuYasha. Any and all "bashing" will be entirely ignored. Kikyou and Kagome both are beautiful characters, and I'd like for them to be treated as such in comments. I love them both, and ship both couples equally, if not for different reasons.

The first chapter is rather fast paced, as it is more trying to give you, the reader, more of an idea placement. This is a story of "what if," where Kohaku came for reasons that can't yet be explained, to the battle of Naraku, where Kikyou was given her terminal blow. This changes things drastically, and things quickly go awry.

Again, thank you so much, and enjoy!

~O~O~O~O~

Kikyou kept her expression still and stony as she watched Kagome, wishing to give nothing away to Naraku. Kagome was, after all, the only one who could do this, and she wanted so desperately for her- for them- to succeed.

As she lay on the ground, her clay body cracked and broken, she waited for Naraku to make the final mistake. His arrogance would be the death of him after all, and she nearly held her breath in anticipation. Eyes narrowing, she prayed that Kagome read her, and read her well, and to her relief, the girl did.

Kagome drew back her bow, but as she went to fire, Naraku shattered the cliif, sending the young miko flying.

"No," Kikyou whispered to herself, and her soul collectors went rushing to Kagome, saving her mid-fall. She watched as the girl, who was so much her likeness, and yet so entirely different, drew back the arrow and fired, straight into her breast. Kikyou noted the fire, the sheer determination in Kagome's eyes, and her breath caught in her chest.

The arrow drove towards her, and the shattered priestess found herself envious- _no, disappointed within herself, she corrected_ \- of the girls bursting spirit. If she had simply had half the confidence- _or was it naivete from being from another world?-_ that this girl had, she would not have faltered. She would have believed in InuYasha, would have...

 _"InuYasha,"_ she mused, and the arrow struck, and her soul felt light, if even for moment, as she and Kagome purified the jewel in unison. _"If only I had the faith she does. I wish..."_

The jewel was racing towards a panicked Naraku now, carried by her soul catchers, but something was wrong. Kagome yelled out as she fell over Kikyou to shield her, and they heard the taijiya scream as Kohaku came tumbling from the cliff, jewel shard lurched from his body by Naraku's talon. Kikyou struggled to breathe, raising a weak hand, and suddenly, the jewel shard was no longer pure, but black as sin, and it pierced the jewel, completing it. She'd left the light within Kohaku, as she had always intended, but it meant something even worse- the jewel would no longer be pure, and if it hit Naraku now, it would never purify him. This wasn't supposed to happen. Kohaku shouldn't have been there. Kikyou looked to InuYasha, panicked, doing her best to mask the fear in her mahogany eyes.

 _"I wish I'd believed in you, InuYasha. I'm so sorry. I wish this had never happened. All of this- all of this because of me. I wish I had the strength and life to fix it."_

The jewel stopped.

The jewel trembled and hung in mid-air, a deep, warm pink, tainted by the shard- but not yet so that it was the hazy, dark purple of Naraku's liking.

It was as though the world stopped, and everyone, even Naraku looked at the floating jewel, which was beginning to pulse and throb. He threw out a jagged arm to retrieve it, but its barrier shattered his arm, and he looked down to her, puzzled. "What have you done, Kikyou?"

Kagome cradled Kikyou as InuYasha lept down to them, but no sooner had he opened his mouth to speak to her, had the jewel not shook the earth, and suddenly, a portal opened, and Kikyou was torn from Kagome's arms. The light of the portal gleamed shining, shimmering black, and Kikyou cried out, turning as best she could, calling for InuYasha, and as much as she hated it, felt tears stream and fly from her face. _What was happening?!_

"Kikyou!" he screamed, in a voice she'd never heard from him before, one full of terror. He gripped and grabbed at her in the mere seconds it took for her to be absorbed, and right as she was pulled into the abyssal void, their fingertips grazed, and the portal closed, leaving him behind and her floating into nothingness, body broken and filled with miasma. As she felt death begin to take her, she felt pain in her chest like nothing before- but not from poison, or death, or broken clay, but from anguish.

Kikyou felt her breath hitch, staring into the darkness, lifeless, and sobbed, something she had not allowed herself since her death, as this was her fate. To die alone, inhuman and shattered, and there was nothing left of her spirit to break. She was alone, in some empty space, immobile. She had... failed.

"Miko," a voice called.

Kikyou looked up and about, and through the darkness, she spotted light. Soft and pink it crept towards her, like a lantern floats in the hand of a traveling villager- bouncing and peaceful, a reminder of hope in the chaos of night.

"We will grant your wish, miko Kikyou, all again. Your soul, though," the voice was a mix of demonic growls and voices, with one bright, lilting voice amongst them, the sound of a woman, "It grows weary. It has been torn apart and reassembled in the hands of the kami. The chances of rebirth are becoming less and less likely, and success with it."

Kikyou looked onward, stunned, and suddenly noted that her body no longer felt sick and feeble, but... warm. She felt... warm?

Now, the woman's voice came to a head of what she now realized was the jewel's voice, and spoke with an urgency, as if competing for the power of the forefront. "This is your destiny, Kikyou. Whether in this life or another, you are the one chosen to rid the world of us. Do not attempt to escape it again. Your soul found strength in its other life- you could have succeeded. Yet you wished again. You must find a way to quiet the selfishness of your soul, should you ever seek true peace."

"But, I-" the miko seemed to bristle, fists clenching as she leaned towards the light, voice even. "I didn't wish anything, I-" All grew quiet as she remembered.

 _"I wish I'd believed in you, InuYasha. I'm so sorry. I wish this never happened. All of this- all of this because of me. I wish I had the strength and life to fix it."_

"No," she whispered, shuddering at the sound of her own voice, and there was the sudden feel of hot tears on her _flesh,_ her _skin,_ which she hadn't felt for a very long time. The jewel was changing her, and she was no longer tainted clay, but human. She felt the sweet flutter of a heartbeat within her chest, felt the heaviness of her own lungs as they heaved with her silent cries, and it was nearly overwhelming how incredibly human she suddenly was.

Falling to her knees, she buried her face in her hands, feeling hopelessness swarm her. So, that was why Kagome was born. She truly was born for InuYasha. She _was_ the answer to her wish. To live as a normal woman with InuYasha, to love him, to defeat the jewel and avenge her own death, all of it... the jewel had heard all of her thoughts as she'd burned to death in that funeral pyre.

All of it was the answer she'd wanted. Just not... what she'd truly wanted. The jewel never truly gave you your wish, after all. It was out for preservation.

And she had just started it all again. All because her heart had overcome her. She was a fool... and the jewel had gotten exactly what it had wanted.

Another chance to survive, the same it had given her. But what in the name of the gods was she to do differently?

She remembered InuYasha's face, full of terror, tears scattered about his face as he gripped for her.

He'd come for her. He'd known she was dying again and yet he'd nearly lept in with her...

She'd never seen him cry before.

The darkness seemed to close in, and she pressed a hand to her cheek, shaken.

She was so tired of hurting him, and simply tired of hurting.

Yet it was to begin again.

~O~

Kikyou awoke on the ground, in the midst of a beautiful field. Lush grass, decorated with scattered flowers, danced with the wind and brushed her cheeks as she blinked awake, finding herself warm and soothed with the heat of the mid-day sun. Her ebony hair tossed gently about her in the breeze, and looking to her hands, she noted the subtle pores and curves of her soft, porcelain skin.

It hadn't been a dream. Human again, she went to stand, and found her toes curling around the grass at her feet. Soft and glistening with dew, she felt something inside her bubble up with the gleeful sensation, and she caught herself in something of a smile. It felt foreign, to feel the pull of her cheeks, and the warmth just below the surface. Glancing up, she forced herself out of her distraction, and took in her surroundings. The air smelled sweet with the scent of spring, the birds in the forest singing, and everything seemed... peaceful.

Sighing, while Kikyou knew the surrounding area may be at peace, she was not foolish enough to believe that she was to properly experience it. Dusting off her hakama, she looked for any sign of where she should head. To her advantage, she heard the distant knicker of a horse, and decided to simply head in that direction. Where there were horses, there were usually people.

As she paced through the trees and brush, she allowed her thoughts to wonder, and let a shiver course down her spine as the facts of the matter sink in.

The jewel had tossed her somewhere, but she was unsure of where, or if she was even in the same time. Kagome had been flung from far into the future, and for all she knew, she'd been assigned the same fate, and thought it best to assume the worst. Problem occurring to her, she tested her spirit, wondering if the possible fluctuation in time, not to mention body, would change her powers. Sending out of a gentle pulse with her reiki, it coursed and calmed as she commanded, and she was relieved to find that nothing seemed to have changed in that regard. She would, however, have to find a bow...

On the worst note, she had no idea where the Shikon jewel was, or InuYasha, for that matter. Praying that she was somewhere, anywhere near, her own time was the best she could hope, because if she could find him, she could find answers. If not, it was a matter of assuming he even knew her. If not, she was going to have a very difficult time persuading him into even speaking with her. He'd always been particularly guarded, and for good reason. It was the reasn they had understood each other so well.

She had done her best to stay away from him and his companions in the past. While she had denied her hearts true desire, she would not interfere with the living, breathing relationship InuYasha had found in Kagome- much to her love's protest. Selfishness might have been her downfall, but she had no intention of making him suffer with her any more than she already had. While her intentions may not have always been chaste and pure, her love for him had.

Memories returned to her of when they had first met, and she sighed inwardly, a sadness haunting the sweeter moments. The two of them tucked under a tree, sharing a lunch he'd hardly touch before sniffing it out and sneering, or when he'd protect her, only to scoff and say he was simply worried about the jewel. All of the times she'd step out of her hut in her sleepless nights, only to look out into the trees and feel him, always watching, always guarding.

She remembered the night she'd worn the lip rouge that InuYasha had given her, and after Kaede had fallen asleep, she'd crept out of her hut and waited, smiling blissfully. He'd come to her side in a rush as she'd silently beckoned him from the trees, and upon seeing her grin, he'd turned red as a beet, even in the dark violet hues of the night. She'd looked beautiful, she'd known, after combing her hair until it shone and applying the color to her lips, and he'd noticed right away. Kikyou had done it for him...

 _"Thank you," she'd whispered to him in a hushed voice, her own cheeks flushing with color._

 _"You really like it, don't you?" He'd asked, glancing away, giving an uncertain grunt. It was clear he wasn't used to making someone so happy._

 _"Of course I do. You're hopeless," she playfully chided, a gentle hand coming to his arm, causing him to look at her again._

 _"Yeah, well, ya know-" he'd stopped himself and sighed as he'd looked to her again, and then cast his gaze down, trying to hide a smile. "It... it looks nice, I guess." The struggle in his voice only made her laugh, endearing and sweet, and he grumbled at her before turning away, muttering something about how the thing had been useless, anyway._

 _"Come here, silly man," she'd asked gently, and she'd leaned up to his cheek, planting a rosy kiss upon his soft skin. "You've made me delightfully over joyed. I feel... like a woman. You've no idea what it means."_

 _Golden eyes had found hers at that moment, and he'd pulled her into his arms, wanting to tell her he was glad, but unable to face her or himself without becoming a flustered mess. He hadn't needed to, though. As she laid her head upon his chest, she'd heard the fluttering beats of his heart, swift and tender, and it had said more than words could ever hope to._

"Miko? Miko-sama!"

Suddenly pulled from her daydreaming, Kikyou looked up abruptly, berating herself for paying so little attention. She'd walked upon the horse and its rider without much notice, and he gave her a puzzled look, noting the tears in her kimono and tired appearance. Raising a hand to greet him, she paced towards him, offering a gentle smile.

"Miko-sama, are you alright?" Voice unsure, he pulled at the reigns of his steed, making the beast face her.

"Yes, simply... weary of travel. Tell me, is there a village near here?"

Looking her over, the man seemed puzzled, and she noticed that going by his clothing, this man was a hunter. Likely accustomed to the youkai that roamed the forests, he was wary of a beautiful woman stepping forth the from the forest with such a helpless look, and he was smart to be. Offering a soothing smile, she extended a hand. "I am no spirit, dear hunter. You may put your mind at ease."

"Ah- of course, Miko-sama. I beg your apologies, we simply stay cautious in the forests. We have a bit of trouble with youkai up north of the village a ways, and I don't intend on getting trapped."

Quirking a brow, Kikyo thought to use this to her advantage. "I may be able to help, if you would be so kind as to take me to your village."

The hunter shrugged, and moved forward on his horse, motioning for her to join him. "Our kokujin* of the village will want to talk to you about that, then... but you look like you need a meal and a bed before you go out battling the woods. I'll take you to him."

With a satisfied smile, she nodded, climbing onto the saddle of the horse. "Thank you, kind hunter."

The man had swallowed nervously as she'd gotten so close, and his ears burned red. "No problem," he'd muttered, before kicking his horse to set off towards the village.

This was precisely what she'd needed. A place to regroup and gather supplies, and get some form of an idea of where she was. Listening to the beating hooves of the horse as it ran, she looked out into the forest, ready for a moment of rest before she set off once again.

The jewel hadn't placed her so close to transport without reason. Wherever he was taking her, this was the beginning. Welcoming expression falling from her graceful features, she cut through the forest with her stare, resigned to her fate once more. If she was the meet a kokujin, she'd wished she hadn't been so tattered. While she certainly wasn't reliant upon her looks to get what she wanted, it certainly never hurt. Miko or not, she was a woman in a society of powerful men, and her beauty had helped her put her mind to better use upon men many a time.

Her raven hair tossed about in the wind, tangled and dulled with dirt, and she hoped that it wouldn't be a hassle to convince them of giving her shelter... not to mention food, and a bow. She found herself hungry, and that was a sensation long forgotten...

As they came to the top of a hill, Kikyou finally saw the town. It was much larger than she'd expected, with fields for crops and houses arranged closely together along the roads. Near the center, she saw a larger estate, with a towering fence rapped around it. It was much more elaborate than she'd expected, and she tensed at the sight. This place was more established than she would have guessed.

~O~

"Fujiwara-sama," the guard called, stepping into his Lord's office and bowing low. "One of the village hunters has come with a miko in tow, and she wishes an audience with you."

"A miko, you say? Where does she hail from?" Seiichi Fujiwara stood from his desk, beckoning his guard to rise, thick brow furrowed with curiosity. He was a tall man, muscular and thick at the waist, with a sturdy look to him. His squared jaw clenched as he waited, a twitch working the muscles as he grit his teeth. He'd been trying to find a solution to the demonic birds that had been seizing his crops and villagers. A miko was exactly what he needed.

"We... don't know, my Lord. We aren't even positive if she does. She looks worse for wear. Her clothes are tattered and stained, and she is unarmed." The guard stood now, facing Seiichi, and he seemed to slump with disappointment. "All we know is her name Kikyou, and it seems she's been through quite the ordeal."

Seiichi exhaled sharply, and brought up a hand to his beard, smoothing the thick hairs that decorated his chin. "So she is either a weak spirit or a fool to lie. Regardless, I will see her. Bring her in. She may at least know something of the pests that plague us."

Waiting with an irritated hesitance as his guard left, Seiichi stood by his desk as he heard the soft sounds of foot steps approach his door. One of the servant girls escorted the miko into his office, and the woman that stood before him was not what he had expected.

Even with her haggard appearance, the beauty of the woman before him was unrivaled. The dirt on her cheek and in her hair could not dull the soft, rounded beauty of her face, and the mahogany eyes that shone in the sunlight that peeked from the windows did not falter beneath his gaze, but yet, seemed to challenge him with the wit that lay behind them.

She bowed low to him, posture perfect, and the voice that rose from her was as maidenly and graceful as she. "I thank you for seeing me, my Lord. I am most humbled."

"You may rise, miko-sama." Hiding the astonished tone of his voice, he watched her closely as she stood. "What brings you here to me, then?"

Sighing, Kikyou cast her gaze over the room before looking back to him. "I am horribly lost," she lamented. "I have no memory of how I got to be here, and your hunter was kind enough to bring me to your door." She was lying, of course, but she saw no current reason to involve him in her business. "He gave word that you were having an issue with youkai. I was hoping I may trade my services for coin and shelter."

Looking her over as if to size her up, he frowned. Beautiful as she may be, it didn't seem that that she was much of a fighter. "And what services might that be, miko-sama? I will give you what your services are worth."

Smile coy and humored, she cocked a hip, almost mischievous with her bristling confidence. "Have you a bow, and a place I may use it? While I have much knowledge to give, I believe you would find my skill to be of the utmost benefit."

Intrigued, Seiichi looked to his guard who had yet stepped in to listen, and quirked a brow. "I believe that can be arranged. Go and fetch our miko a bow, then. Meet us on the outskirts of the forest." Looking back to Kikyou, he beckoned her to follow him. She did gladly, and he noted how she seemed to nearly glide with her steps, rather than walk.

"So, what is your name, miko-sama?" he asked, walking close to her side. As they walked the halls, the servants watched with hope, and he knew they were as eager as he was to see if she could fix their little problem.

"Kikyou, my Lord. And how may I address you?"

"I am Seiichi Fujiwara." Looking down to her, he told one of the servants to inform his wife of Kikyou's arrival, and the young girl had scurried away in a flurry, elated that she be the bearer of the news.

Smiling, Kikyou nodded. "Fujiwara-sama, then. So, tell me of these demons plaguing you so, if you would."

Scratching his chin, he sighed as they made it out of his estate and through the gate, onto the streets. Motioning towards the forest outskirts, he gave an irritated grunt before explaining. "They come from the forest about every week or so... Large, green bird-like things with poison beaks and claws. They seize our crops and the farmers, and they've killed a few as of late, seeing as they're running out of their actual food supply. They have scales along their faces and large, black eyes."

Thinking, Kikyou pushed a bit of her hair away from her face as they approached the forest, and she sighed. "It sounds like they're some lesser vermin. I'm assuming its their numbers that are the issue, and not their strength?"

"Yes, Kikyou-sama." Watching as his guard came jogging up with a bow, Seiichi took it from him, only to hand it to the miko. She accepted it graciously, and studied it a moment. It was a *yumi bow, one used for kyudo, and she smirked. He noted how comfortable she seemed with the thing as she donned the quiver amd held the bow.

"So, where may I shoot, Fujiwara-sama?"

Seiichi pointed outwards, shrugging. "As you please into the forest, I suppose." Dumbfounded, he hadn't quite understood what she was implying, and by the time he did, it was too late.

She'd nocked an arrow, aimed, and shot faster than most of his ikki* could, and he watched in awe at what happened next. The arrow struck a tree, and within moments, everything within several yards of the arrow was alight with her spiritual power, sending out a pulse so powerful the trees in its wake shook and trembled.

"My, Kikyou-sama, I underestimated-" but he was forced to stop again.

The trees completely shattered, just a moment later, and went up in a shining light, the remains seeming to turn to nothing more than a shimmering dust, and float away. Seiichi simply gaped at the display, looking to Kikyou with wide eyes, before regaining himself. "Well done!" he praised. "I was not expecting such a sight, and you could best most of my men, it would seem."

Noticing that he seemed to chew on that statement with a hint of disdain, Kikyou smiled warmly, trying to give him the bow. "I have had many years of training, my Lord. It is not something that came to me on a simple eve."

"Aye," he acknowledged, but shook his head as she offered the bow. "No, you keep that. It seems you would make better use of it, anyway."

Sighing inwardly, Kikyou was glad to hear it. She'd accomplished one of her needs, and that was to obtain a weapon. Now, all she needed was lodging. "So, when would you have me go and dispose of the demons for you, then?" Looking hopeful, she glanced to him before returning her gaze to the street, and he pondered a moment before replying.

"I suppose, seeing as you are clearly capable, you may stay in one of the guest rooms tonight. We shall feed you and get you a new robe," looking her over, he chuckled, "And a bath. What on Earth happened to you, anyway? I've been meaning to ask."

Worrying her lip, Kikyou's gaze hardened at his question, and he noticed immediately. Grip tightening on her bow, she looked away. "I... I don't know," she lied. "As I said before, all I know is I awoke in the forest, and haven't the faintest idea where I am. I'm worried I was attacked and hit my head... or something hit it for me." Masking her frustration at his curiosity with something more akin to concern, he seemed to accept her little fib, and nodded.

"I see," he hummed, though he still watched her curiously. "Well, perhaps you'll regain your memory soon enough. In the mean time, as long as you're useful, we'll give you a place to stay. Also, you're in Kyoto, by the way." Watching her straighten up at the fact as if to take in her surroundings, he saw her genuine surprise, and found her more believable at that moment. He was aware she lying about _something,_ but he couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly. The priestess clearly had no idea where she was.

As they arrived back at his estate, they crossed the gates and went inside, and he called a servant girl over to them. She was a young girl, no older than 14, with lovely, doll like eyes and sweet demeanor. Timid and unsure, she glanced to Kikyou, before looking back to her Lord. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Kikyou-sama, this is Ami. She'll be attending you this evening. Ami," he said, looking to the girl, "You will see Kikyou to her room, and show her to the bath houses. Then, while she's cleaning up, go and retrieve her a new kimono, and see that she joins us for dinner."

"Dinner?" Kikyou wondered, cutting him a bewildered look.

"Of course. If you are to be helping us, I would have you attended with a few soldiers tomorrow, and that will need to be discussed. Perhaps they will learn a few things from your skills with a bow, anyway. Also, I would have you meet my wife, and son." There was something implied in his voice as he said that, and if it was what Kikyou believed it to be, she would be entirely exasperated by the end of it.

She had always wished to be treated like an ordinary woman, but _this_ was just irritating. After falling in love, the idea of being betrothed to a simpleton she'd never met seemed so... petty. Most things were, though, she supposed, and they were doing her a kindness, so she would suffer through fumbling flirtations and suggestions, if she must. "Very well, Fujiwara-sama. I'll see you at dinner, then."

At that he'd smiled to her and left, Kikyou and Ami bowing to him upon his departure, and Ami looked to her was a puzzled uncertainty. "Your room is this way, Kikyou-sama." Leading the way, Ami seemed uncertain of what to do or say, and Kikyou found her flustered demeanor endearing.

"You must be new," she said, soothing and sweet. Ami bit her lip, nodding.

"Sorry, I must be acting so strange, I'm still learning and I'm just-"

"Hush," Kikyou stopped her, placing a hand on the girls shoulder. "You do not need to treat me formally. Speak freely, and do not concern yourself." She noted that the girl seemed to relax at that, and Kikyou walked patiently at her side as the girl lead her to the guest room. As Ami slid the door open, Kikyou was shocked at the lovely interior. It was not decadent or overly lavish, but simple, decorated in soft hues of blue and green. The paintings upon the wall displayed geishas in their pretty kimonos as they stood in streets before mountain scenes in the spring time, and gave the room a serene mood. There was a vanity with a large mirror rested in a corner, a small table with soft looking pillows neatly stationed on either side for studies, and a vacant, waist high book shelf on the opposite end of the room. Kikyou noted the other door that led into a zen garden that she could faintly see through a window, the paper screen doing little to hide the lush greens that reflected off the small pond.

"This is beautiful," she remarked, looking to Ami. The girl smiled, rosy cheeked, and nodded.

"I thought you would like this one, Kikyou-sama. Its why I picked it for you." Motioning towards the sliding door, she perked up, "And you'll get to enjoy the lovely garden! Its so peaceful. Since you seemed so troubled, I thought you'd like the atmosphere, and you can go visit at your leisure."

Kikyou smiled, nodding, "I appreciate it, my dear. Thank you kindly." Avoiding stepping in, Kikyou motioned over her kimono, and laughed. "I'd greatly appreciate that bath, now, though. I'm filthy, and I wouldn't want to dirty up the room."

Ami smiled at her, taking up a bit of the cloth from the priestess's sleeve into her hand, and knitted a brow. "It is a frightening sight, isn't it? You must have been through something awful, I assume. Its not just dirty, but tattered, as if you'd been tossed around." Meeting Kikyou's gaze, Ami noted the sudden hardened, sad look within her eyes, and she withdrew. "My apologies, I didn't mean to pry..."

Shaking her head, Kikyou sighed, "It is not your fault. Do not concern yourself." Noting Ami's shrinking demeanor, the priestess gave the girl's arm a gentle touch, shaking her head. "You did nothing wrong. I would respond as such if I saw a woman in my condition, too." Forcing a smile, she motioned for Ami to lead. Seeming relieved, Ami nodded, and shut the door to the room before making her way down the hall, pacing Kikyou.

"It's strange to see the headman take in a stranger," Ami mumbled, glancing about as she walked. "He normally never brings in guests. He is very kind, but with all the rivaling kokujin and the Shugo looming over his shoulder, he is wary to even allow someone to stay in the inn, much less his home." Glancing to Kikyou, she wondered at the priestess who seemed to roll this over in her mind, and take the hint. Fujiwara could had ulterior motives, even if she was beneficial. That would explain him abruptly accepting her offer.

"It is likely because I am miko," she diverted, "It is rare one such as me is a threat, and I have proven my powers. He likely knows I intend no harm." Ami bit her lip, shaking her head.

"He assumes nothing, of anyone. I don't think that's it..." Glancing back to Kikyou, she frowned. There was the silent agreement that perhaps they should drop it, and she and Ami walked in silence out and across the grounds. Kikyou sighed with happiness as she finally saw the bath house. Ami pulled open the doors, and the steam rolled forth, dancing across Kikyou's toes as if beckoning her within. Stepping inside, she smiled to Ami.

"Thank you," she breathed, "I'm going to take some time to myself, if I may. Go and fetch the kimono, if you would be so kind."

Ami nodded, bowing low to her, and went off. It seemed the girl understood that Kikyou was no longer in any mood to have company. Locking the door, Kikyou undressed, letting her filthy kimono pool around her feet. Her feet were caked with the dirt and grime from the streets, and before stepping into the hot bath, she fetched a cloth from the shelves, wiping her feet as clean as she could. She noted the way the fabric felt in between her toes, a tickling sensation she'd long forgotten from fibers against skin, and she was once again painfully reminded that this new life- one she had only been stepping within for nearly a few hours now, was not something of death, and hell, and grave yard soil. So accustomed to having accepted her fate of death and misery, she was unsure of how to approach her new life, other than to attend her usual duty, which was the jewel. It was her only driving point, aside from her beloved, and she only hoped she would find him.

Her thoughts drifted back to Kagome, and Kikyou felt her stomach twist. With Kikyou, tossed so elsewhere, what was to become of Kagome? Would the girl still exist in the future or past? Guilt seeped into her. She had always been cold to the girl, truthfully because of her own jealousy and the way Kagome had quieted the bitter beast within InuYasha's heart- what she had always wanted to do- but she had respected her above all else. She had been powerful, and true of heart, and the thought of her own selfishness stealing the girls life away made her ache. While she'd been crass and ungrateful, the girl had saved her more than once, and if not for her sake, Kikyou would never have made it as long as she did.

She'd long wondered if the girl was as benevolent as the kami, or foolish as the child's heart. Kikyou assumed it was both, and somehow, it made the girl all the more endearing.

No matter how bitter she felt, she had no desire to go and end the girl. When she'd first revived, so full of hate, she'd tried, and thankfully failed. Then again, Kikyou reminded herself in her rage, she'd become drunk on vengeance, and was determined to take the entire world down with her if it meant getting her revenge. How foolish she'd been... and how times had changed. Finishing her feet, Kikyou set aside the filthy cloth and stepped into the steaming bath, causing a shiver to chase down her spine as she felt the warmth rush over her legs.

It burned a moment, the heat reddening her skin and as she sat lower and gave a quick gasp. She hadn't had to bathe in the past, being made of clay, she could simply wipe the grime away with no worry of sweat or filth sticking to her. Collecting the soaps and oils from the side of the bath, she lathered her hair with the smell of lavender and almond, and found herself rediscovering the sweet sensation of nails scratching one's scalp. It was heavenly, and finding peace in the moment, she took her time scrubbing every inch of her head and hair.

Moving on to her skin, she ignored not an inch, exfoliating and moisturizing every bit she could. Her attempts may have been a bit vigorous at times, and she ignored the fact that in the back of her mind, it was as if she was washing away the filth she felt she had in her heart, the selfishness the jewel had spoken of.

Perhaps if she could wash it away, she could begin anew, and do what was right... not only for herself, this time, but everyone.

~O~O~O~O~

 **-Ikkō-ikki** (一向一揆?, literally "Ikkō-shū Uprising") were mobs of peasant farmers, Buddhist monks, Shinto priests and local nobles, who rose up against samurai rule in 15th and 16th century Japan. They followed the beliefs of the Jōdo Shinshū (True Pure Land) sect of Buddhism which taught that all believers are equally saved by Amida Buddha's grace. They were organized to only a small degree; if any single person could be said to have had any influence over them it was Rennyo, the leader of the Jōdo Shinshū Hongan-ji sect at that time. Rennyo's attitude to the Ikkō-ikki was, however, highly ambivalent and pragmatic. Whilst he may have used the religious fervour of the Ikkō-ikki in the defence of his temple settlements, he was also careful to distance himself from the wider social rebellion of the Ikkō movement as a whole, and from offensive violence in particular.

 **-The ji-samurai** (地侍?), also known as kokujin (国人?), were lords of smaller rural domains in feudal Japan. They often used their relatively small plots of land for intensive and diversified forms of agriculture; the kokujin sought to be as productive and self-sufficient as possible, hoping to gain wealth and power. Independent and strongly attached to their land, many kokujin formed leagues for common defense called ikki, and took part in the agrarian uprisings of the 16th and 17th centuries as well as quite a number of earlier events.

One of the primary causes for the rise in the number of smaller land holders was a decline in the custom of primogeniture. Towards the end of the Kamakura period, inheritance began to be split among a lord's sons, making each heir's holdings, and thus their power, smaller.

Over time, many of these smaller fiefs came to be dominated by the Shugo, Constables who were administrators appointed by the shogunate to oversee the provinces. Resentful and mistrustful of the interference of government officials, they banded together into leagues called ikki. The uprisings that resulted, particularly when the Shugo tried to seize control of entire provinces, were also called ikki; some of the largest and most famous took place in Wakasa province in the 1350s. In addition, the kokujin represented a considerable force during many of Japan's wars. Despite their lowly stature individually, the ji-samurai were a considerable portion of the noble (warrior) class, and their favor could often decide a battle or a war.

Kokujin were sometimes also referred to as dogō, representing their importance in rural life. They might have held lands worth, on average, fifty koku and, though their holdings were small compared to some other lords, they still required extra hands to help tend the fields. Peasant workers, called hikan or nago, often holding small areas of fields themselves, would be hired, and would often live very near the lord's home in the village. Even some of the smallest of these rural villages would be arranged like miniature fortresses, with walls or even moats around the lord's home, and another wall around the main section of the village. This arrangement between peasant workers and kokujin landlords became more complicated after the imposition of a land survey, census, and taxation by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the end of the 16th century, and many peasants gained greater independence, but the system remained in place for the most part.

 **-The yumi** is exceptionally tall, standing over two meters, and typically surpasses the height of the archer (ite, 射手).[3] They are traditionally made by laminating bamboo, wood and leather, using techniques which have not changed for centuries, although some archers (particularly beginners) may use a synthetic yumi.

The yumi is asymmetric; According to the All Nippon Kyudo Federation, the grip (nigiri) has to be positioned at about two thirds of the distance from the upper tip.  
The yumi, the world's largest bow

The upper and lower curves also differ. Several hypotheses have been offered for this asymmetric shape. Some believe it was designed for use on a horse, where the yumi could be moved from one side of the horse to the other with ease, however there is evidence that the asymmetrical shape predates its use on horseback.[4]

Others claim that asymmetry was needed to enable shooting from a kneeling position. Yet another explanation is the characteristics of the wood from a time before laminating techniques. In case the bow is made from a single piece of wood, its modulus of elasticity is different between the part taken from the treetop side and the other side. A lower grip balances it.


	2. Chapter 2

Ami rushed to the office of her Lord, still berating herself for asking such personal questions to a guest. Although, to her luck, Kikyou was very understanding, if not a bit secretive.

"Fujiwara-sama?" she asked, going to tap at the door, before she heard the muttering voices inside. It was Seiichi and his son, pondering over Kikyou, and Ami abruptly hushed herself as she listened intently.

"Is she truly so captivating?" said the son, Hyousuke, and she saw his silhouette through the screen, leaning against the wall, idle hands picking at the loose threads in his sleeve. "I cannot see what good would come of courting a miko, though, father. They're celibate, are they not? She would likely rebuff any pursuit."

"Listen to me, Hyousuke. A woman like that is exactly what we need to keep the Shugo and other nobles at bay. You should have seen the way she leveled a small portion of our forests- large enough to build a small estate, if we wished. With our crops gone and our villagers hungry, now would be the perfect time for someone to attack us. With her, however..." Seiichi paused a moment, and Ami held her breath in her chest, doing her best not to move. "She could pick off chunks of an army with minimal effort, human and youkai alike. Court her. Woo her, and do whatever you must, but I want this lovely flower plucked from the wilds, and placed within our own gardens. Obtain her favor." Ami heard the rustling of what sounded like paper upon a desk, and then foot steps. Seiichi approached Hyousuke, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You are going to be a noble leader sooner than you think, my son. It is time you start thinking outside the box, rather than muddling within your insecurities."

"And if she doesn't take to my pursuit?" Hyousuke asked, voice clouded with doubt, and Seiichi gave a stern grunt in his irritation.

"If she does not, everyone has a weakness. Find it, and pluck at her heart strings. If she cannot be wooed, she can be convinced, even if by force of hand. I would prefer it not come to such a thing, but I will do what I must for my people."

Ami heard Seiichi return to his desk and dismiss his son, and Hyousuke approached the screen. The little hand maiden made sure to look as though she'd just arrived when the young noble came bursting from the door, disturbed. "Ah- My Lord!" she gasped, clutching a hand to her chest, as if startled. "Greetings!" she forced a smile as she bowed, and Hyousuke brushed past her.

"Out of the way," he muttered, and Ami noted the sweat that lingered at his brow, the conflict within his face evident. She did her best to mask her own lingering worry.

"Come in, Ami," Seiichi called. The lithe girl stepped in, bowing once more, before looking to her Lord, masking her disturbed wonder. "What do you need?"

"I require coin so I may go and retrieve a kimono for our Lady Miko, my Lord. I have seen to it that she is bathing for now, but I must go quickly." Raising to stand, she looked her Lord over, searching. He opened a drawer to his desk, and pulled out a sack of coin, setting it upon the table.

"Buy her three. Two of the most flattering for her looks, and her miko garb. When she attends dinner tonight, I expect her to be well dressed and presentable, and her face shall be painted as such, as well." Glancing up to Ami, he smiled. "I trust you to see to it that my will is done, seeing as you have shown your ability many a time when readying my wife for an outing, and have done so well." As Ami approached and took the purse, he smiled to her, and it bothered her how genuine the smile upon his face seemed.

"Of course, my Lord. I'll see to it right away." Bowing once again, she was finally excused, and she rushed away, walking much too quickly down the halls. As she passed Hyousuke's room, she glanced in through a crack in the screen, and he sat, looking out a window, a hand tossed into the feathery tendrils of his long, chestnut locks. He glanced to her, and as she walked past, he called for her, causing Ami to go rigid. Slowly turning back, she slid open the door, greeting him formally, before he waved her bowing and formalities off.

"Come here, Ami," he asked, but there was something lingering in his tone. Sadness, nearly.

"Yes?" she asked, stepping closer, and she blushed at the frazzled sight of him in the lingering rays of the beginning sunset. At the young age of 19, Hyousuke was captivating, with sharp, angled features and smooth, bronze skin. His high cheekbones framed eyes the color of smoldering charcoal, dark and searching, with flecks and hues or orange and grey scattered out around his pupils. Stern, angled brows and long, fluttering eyelashes framed his eyes, and his pouted mouth was shapely and soft, and he was, in a bewildering way, beautiful. Though his masculinity was never in question, he was not rough and rugged as most men in the village were, Seiichi included, and it seemed yet he had favored his mother- delicate and domineering, and Ami couldn't help but swoon at the sight of him. Young hearts flutter as a bird does within a cage, she supposed.

"Buy our Lady Miko some flowers while you're out," he asked, but the pained expression in his face made Ami falter with curiosity, and she crept towards him, cautious, yet worried.

"Are you alright, my Lord?" she asked, and Hyousuke buried his face in his palm.

"It is nothing I can speak of with you, little one. Your concern is appreciated, though." Pausing only a moment, he ran his fingers over his jaw, thinking. "Bell flowers," he stated. "Get her bell flowers, as that is the meaning of her name. Buy a vase for them, one that you think will suit her, and tell her it is a welcoming present from me, and I look forward to meeting her." Looking back to Ami, he quirked a brow. "What does she look like?" he wondered.

"She is most beautiful, my lord," Ami hummed. "She is nearly as perfect as a doll, and puts the geisha that grace our streets to shame. Her hair is long and smooth as silk, like an ebony stream, and her skin is pale as moonlight upon a lake. Her eyes are rich as mahogany, and the intelligence behind them is just as unforgiving and sturdy as the wood itself."

Hyousuke seemed to roll this over in his mind, nodding. "Then she will enjoy more than just idle pleasantries. With the flowers, buy her a comb for her hair, and blank parchment with ink and brush. Get her a bag that is versatile, yet feminine." Hyousuke sighed warily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That should be it for now. Take the kimonos and flowers to her, and the rest to me, so I may give them to her as I see fit."

"Yes, my Lord." Bowing, Ami stepped from the room, but as she went to close the door, Hyousuke called after her. Turning to look at him, Ami forced a wary smile.

"Thank you," he stated, and it left her unsettled. Hyousuke had always been a gentle soul. Seeing him so perturbed made her skin crawl, and she knew that what was happening did not bode well. Briskly, she paced down the halls, and out of the estate. Clutching the small purse filled with coin, she tried to ebb the twitching concern in her chest, wondering whether she should tell Kikyou of what she'd overheard.

Stepping out into the street, she looked down her path, the streets bustling with villagers and voices. Geisha passed her with their stunning kimonos and twirling umbrellas, ruby lips lifted in charming smiles as they laughed and mused, flirting with the men that passed them on the streets. Many of them blushed and grinned as they waved and fumbled at the sight of the ethereal girls. Within the small booths that lined the street were many fisherman, all waving about their best catches, shouting prices loudly. As there was such a shortage of rice and vegetables, fish had gone up in price, and it was clear in the way the townsfolk huddled around, bargaining to get any bit of fish they could manage to feed their families.

Turning a corner, she looked and found the store of Kyoto's seamstresses. Their decorations were elaborate and decadent, and Ami's heart ached that she would never be able to have such precious, silken garb. As she approached, one of the Kokujin's soldiers looked to her and smiled, his toothy grin meant to be flirtatious, but was more strange and clownish than anything.

"Going to get ye' a pretty dress, are ya, lass?" he asked, looking her over. "Though you don't need any help, with a pretty face like yours."

"Ah- um, no," she stated, giving a nervous grin. "I'm on an errand for my Lord, and I'm in much of a hurry, I do apologize." Rushing past him awkwardly, much to her dismay, she sighed as she finally pushed open the doors to the store. Kimono hung from mannequins, perfect and stunning, and Ami sighed. Looking to the woman at the counter, she approached her, smiling.

"I'm in need of a few things," she breathed, and the seamstress looked up from her book, pulling her spectacles down her nose as she looked Ami over.

"You're one of the Kokujin's girls. What an honor!" Standing, she dusted her lap, and approached her. "What are you in need of? Kimono, jewelry, shoes?"

Nodding, Ami grinned. "All of the above, and a carrying bag, if you have one. I am in need of one miko kimono, but made of the best materials, and two kimono fit for a lady in the Kokujin's company."

Tapping her chin, the woman looked around, "A miko? How odd. Well, I will let you browse for the other two while I go and grab the traditional Shinto kimono, and you let me know if you have a question."

Nodding with excitement, Ami looked out over the store, and felt her heart soar when she saw one that hung from the ceiling that was unlike no other. It was a wash of bright, vibrant turquoise that faded down into a soft, pastel purple. Pale yellow flowers of all kinds crept up the side in what looked to be a swaying breeze, but what caught her eye most was the White, snowy *fox that seemed to rush up into the flowers within the breeze. Its golden eyes looked back onto the viewer, as if smiling, its cunning and freedom evident within each carefully stitched thread. Ami was immediately reminded of Kikyou, her cunning wit and kind nature, and of how she would likely be the savior from their hardship, and how if there was to be a kami watching over them in this time, it would indeed be *Inari. Mind made, she looked about the room to find another, and saw one that was lovely, but not quite as perfectly suited for Kikyou. It was a bright, rich red, decorated with cranes as they flew away. The others, Ami thought, were far too girlish, though beautiful. While Kikyou was lovely, Ami felt that her innocence had been stripped from her long ago, and no amount of pretty thread would cover that look within her eyes. Girlish simply did not suit her.

As the seamstress made her way back, Ami told her of which ones she'd chosen, and the woman was delighted to hear it. As she packed away the lovely fabrics, Ami went and picked out a pack, a white leather satchel with sakuras burned into the front.

Next she picked not one comb, but several, deciding Kikyou's hair was much too lovely not to be done and decorated. As she finished, she paid, thanking the seamstress graciously, and set out to find the flower shop. Bell flowers, she remembered, and there was a joyful hop in her step as she made her way through the streets.

~O~

As Ami approached the bath house, she heard nothing but silence, and found herself concerned. "Kikyou-sama?" she called, and jumped when the sudden sound of a splash was heard inside.

"Ah- just a moment!" Kikyou called, but there was a stutter to her voice, followed by the sound of someone emerging form the bath, and quick foot steps. After a bit of rustling, the door was unlocked and slip open, and Ami was greeted by the sight of Kikyou, clearly half asleep and pruned. "Forgive me. I had decided to soak while I waited, and I believe I dozed off. How embarrassing." Clutching her towel to her chest, Kikyou sighed, and Ami saw that Kikyou was thinking as she stepped within the bath house.

"Foolish," Kikyou thought to herself as Ami brushed off her concerns, stating that she had taken longer than expected anyway. "I had long forgotten what true exhaustion felt like... being so tired, I was not expecting such a thing." Keeping her thoughts within her own mind, the priestess nervously smiled as Ami led her into the other room of the bath house, away from the steam. She shook the wrinkles from and under-robe, and coaxed Kikyou to come and get dressed.

"My Lord has asked that you attend dinner in proper kimono, rather than your usual miko attire. You will be meeting his wife and son, and preparations for tomorrow will be made. It will be a formal dinner, and he hopes you understand." Ami tied the obi about Kikyou's waist, securing the under-robe, and Kikyou frowned.

"I would think it would make more sense to have me dressed as my proper station, but I will comply, seeing as he is doing me such a kindness." Knowing what this new wardrobe implied, Kikyou sighed inwardly. It was going to be a long evening.

"I will be dressing you and coloring your face," Ami stated, grinning. "I bought you some of the loveliest clothes, hence why I took so long. And combs for your hair!" The girlish joy within her voice grounded Kikyou after a moment, and the priestess found herself smiling, if only for Ami's excitement.

"I look forward to it."

It took a little over an hour to ready Kikyou, with Ami brushing oils through Kikyou's raven locks, making her hair shine and glisten in the flickering candle light. She'd given Kikyou her flowers in this time, which Kikyou had rather enjoyed, the pretty vase they sat within wrapped in a small scene of archers readying their bows upon a mountain top. Ami had decided on a more relaxed style for Kikyou's hair, one side pinned back behind the ear with a comb, and pulling the rest back and above the nape of her neck with a loose bun. She gave no effort to hide the feathery fly-aways that trailed down over her back, and adorned the bun with yet another comb, decorated with small lotus flowers. Painting Kikyou's lips with the traditional *safflower stain, it brought out her pouted mouth and gentle cupid's bow in a most flattering way, and as Ami lined her eyes with charcoal and dusted the edges with red powder, there was no mistaking that Kikyou's features were nearly unreal in their perfection.

The kimono fit her perfectly, and suited her better than Ami could have imagined. The paler colors brought a kind of life to Kikyou's otherwise dutiful appearance, and the fox that ran up upon Kikyou's leg and hip gave way to her character, their gazes as similar as Ami had suspected.

"You're perfect," Ami mused, leading Kikyou to a mirror. Upon seeing herself, Kikyou felt her gut clench, and then, it felt as though it would burst from butterflies- both panicked and overjoyed. Bringing up a hand to her cheek, she touched it tenderly, looking down and over herself. The woman that stood before her no longer looked like herself- but fair, and beautiful. Ordinary, feminine, and strangely bright, Kikyou could hardly recognize herself. Ami had done a wonderful job with her hair and makeup, as well, and it showed her good looks in a way Kikyou wasn't even aware was possible.

"I look... beautiful," Kikyou breathed.

Ami nodded, clapping her hands. "I told you I was good!"

Tears formed in Kikyou's eyes as she stared into the mirror. It was something she'd always wanted, to see herself like this. Yet... something felt wrong about it. As if this woman in the mirror was not her, was not meant to be. It was so foreign, and yet there she was.

"Are you alright, Kikyou-sama?" Ami asked.

"I'll be fine," Kikyou stated. "You simply did such a wonderful job, and I was not expecting to see myself in such a way." she fibbed. In the back of her mind, the priestess wondered what InuYasha would have thought of her now, dressed as such. She quickly pushed the thought from her mind, going back to the matter at hand. "I believe we will be late for dinner if we do not leave soon. We should make way for the dining room."

Ami gleefully led Kikyou by the hand, smiling with such a purity, nearly wanting to run in her anticipation and Kikyou found herself reminded of Kagome pulling her along through the cave. The girl had believed in her, even when she hadn't, for no reason other than she thought better of herself and others than that. Kagome had smiled and laughed even in the face of death, and it had, to Kikyou's dismay, made her realize why InuYasha had loved the girl so dearly. She was like the sunlight in how she brought hope, even to Kikyou, in her broken hearted helplessness.

It lightened the weight in Kikyou's chest, and she smiled brightly, deciding to enjoy the moment. There was no such reason to be so bereft at this time. Things would fall into place, as long as she was attentive, but for a moment, she could allow Ami to lead her, instead of constantly being in the lead, as she always had.

As they paced down the halls and into the dining room, Kikyou was suddenly, viciously reminded of how incredibly hungry she'd been. The smell of fish and vegetables hung in the air like a hand beckoning one near, and her mouth watered. As Ami slid the door open for Kikyou, the faces that met her gaze all seemed astonished. Seiichi's jaw sat agape as she entered, and the woman next to him, who she assumed to be his wife, looked between her husband and the others, before smiling brightly, as if impressed. A man with dark eyes and sharp features looked at her curiously, as if wondering if she were real. Another man, who she assumed was the Captain of the guard that she was to meet, gazed at her with a longing expression, as if no lovelier sight had ever crossed his path.

"Kikyou-sama," Seiichi stated, "Welcome, and join us. You look more beautiful than all the sakuras that have ever blossomed," he boasted, smiling. After bowing, Kikyou stood, waiting to be told where to sit, and Ami led her to a seat next to the man who'd looked to her with such wonder, unlike the rest, who looked upon her with lust. "This is my son, Hyousuke."

Taking her seat, she took the utmost care to sit properly, before greeting Hyousuke with a small bow. "It is a pleasure, my Lord." Smoothing her hands over her lap to rid it of any wrinkles, she noted the way his gaze faltered beneath hers, and looked back down to the table before saying a soft "Greetings," to her.

Seiichi seemed perturbed at his son's lack of response, but decided to move on, although the tick that worked in his jaw did not go unnoticed by the priestess. "And this is my captain, Daiki Sato, who we will be discussing your company with when you journey out tomorrow." Daiki seemed flustered at first, but was quick to greet her properly, nodding.

"I look forward to hearing your strategy, miko-sama." he stated.

Feigning a soft smile, she noted the blush to his cheeks as his eyes darted away, and Kikyou returned her gaze to Seiichi. "It would appear I am in excellent company for such a task. I appreciate your hospitality."

"And we, you. If you accomplish this for us, we will be forever in your debt. For now, though," he looked as the servants opened the doors from the kitchen, "Let us eat. I am most certain you're hungry after the day you've had."

"I am most grateful," she sighed, as the feast was brought to the table. It smelled delicious, a mix of nuts, soy, spice, and onion filled her nose. The servants prepared the portions with the utmost care. Fish filets and sliced steak, rice, sushi, and stir fry all were placed before them in a most artistic manner, their tea steeped and poured with perfect method before they were excused, silently disappearing back into the kitchen.

Kikyou took up her chop sticks, looking down onto her plate. When was the last time she had eaten with purpose? From hunger, even? Her palate had been muted with her last body, and sometimes altogether gone. Yet now she found herself having to refrain from seizing the food before her as if she were to starve. With delicate fingers, she used the utensils to pick up a a bite of salmon sashimi, and when the food hit her tongue, the fresh array of delicious flavor nearly overwhelmed her. The soft, smooth texture of the fish upon her tongue mixed with the beaded feel of the rice was luscious, and an audible sigh of contentment escaped her. Looking up, she realized she was being watched by the others at the table, and imagined she must have looked very odd, enjoying a simple bite of food so much.

"It would seem my chefs have done quite well!" The wife commented, giggling at Kikyou's bewilderment. "You must be starving."

"Quite so," Kikyou spoke. "It has been quite some time since I have had a proper meal, and this is beyond expectation."

"Poor girl. We'll make sure you never wander off with an empty stomach," the head mistress said. "We take care to treat our guests as best we can."

"Thank you, my Lady...?" Kikyou's voice trailed as she took another bite, glancing to the woman, awaiting her to state her name

"Chikako," she chimed. "I see that Ami has been taking care of you well, as you look quite stunning. It must be nice to be pampered once in a while, is it not?"

Noting the tone in Chikako's voice, Kikyou cut a glance to Seiichi, as there seemed to be a hint there that no one was intending to say. Forcing a smile, Kikyou took a sip from her tea, before deciding to simply play along. "Of course. Every woman wishes to indulge herself once in a while, and you have allowed me to go far beyond my usual routine." Looking to Hyousuke, who had remained oddly silent this entire time, she brought a gentle hand to his shoulder, indulging the parents' very clear wants. "And I have yet to thank you for the flowers you sent to my room. They are quite a treat to look upon."

Looking to her, his eyes leveled her gaze, and he gave a half smile. "I'm glad. Perhaps I will make habit of it during your stay, so that you may look upon things as lovely as yourself more often." Though the compliment seemed to reassure the others that kept them company, Kikyou didn't miss the way that remark seemed almost recited and practiced.

"Perhaps Hyousuke could show you to the gardens later, then, and show you the other flowers." Chikako said, and Hyousuke nodded, before taking a long sip of his tea, clearly wishing to move to other topics.

"I would be honored," Kikyou responded, and found the knitting of her brows unavoidable before turning to the Captain. "So," she interjected, wanting to get away from a topic that seemed strange for not only her, but her forced suitor, "I believe it is time we spoke of tomorrow's adventures. I was told the youkai are to the north of the village, and are more in number than in strength."

"Yes," Daiki commented, his boyish gaze quickly fading into something more serious. "They come in flocks of fifty or sometimes, many more. They're usually simply scavengers, but as we've run out of crops, so have they run out of supply to steal. Now, they hunt the elderly, and the children that tend the farms." Sighing heavily, he poured himself some sake, offering her some. After a moment of pause, she accepted, and sipped it. "Its terrible. We used to be able to fend them off with our archers in the past, but there are so many more."

"Then we will have to go and find the nest," Kikyou stated, and her sudden change was noted by everyone in the room. She was strategizing, and tapped her chin. "What is the terrain like to the north?"

"Oddly, it is a valley, and the few that have seen where they come from say that they seem to live in burrows."

"Then we shall have to burn them out." Looking about the table, she sighed, "I do wish I had something to write upon."

"Here," Hyousuke remarked, retrieving a scroll from his sleeve. Then, from the other, a brush and ink. "It is yours."

Looking to Hyousuke, Kikyou felt a heat rise to her cheeks. For someone who was rather conflicted, clearly, he was very considerate. "Thank you." Gently moving her finished dishes to the side, she spread out the scroll, etching something of a drawing, before beckoning Daiki closer. "Is it something like this?"

"Why, yes!" he exclaimed, looking to Seiichi. "That is precisely what their dens look like."

Sighing heavily, Kikyou chuckled to herself, but her exasperated look was unmistakable. "They are a most annoying youkai. A mix of bird and wasp. It is no wonder you've had such an issue with the vermin. But, just as birds and bees, get them around smoke and fire, and they are of little horror. The worst part is finding their queen." Rolling her scroll back up, she placed it within the sleeve of her kimono, and for the first time, Hyousuke seemed interested.

"But how would one do that?" he inquired. "There are so many holes."

"They have burrows and tunnels that all connect. If you have explosives, I can fire them into the holes, but I will need several other archers to assist me. Afterwards, I shall venture within and rid the hive of the queen."

Daiki looked to her, impressed, and nodded. "That can be arranged. I'll get my best and send them to meet you here in the morning with me, then."

"You will go and take on the queen alone?" Hyousuke asked, and Chikako leaned in, listening as well.

"Of course," Kikyou stated. "It is not as though I have not taken on much more fearsome opponents."

At this, everyone at the table focused upon her, with the amazed curiosity of children. "Such as?" Seiichi asked, taking another drink of his sake. Kikyou suddenly made note that while she hadn't been paying attention, he'd seemed to have taken many.

"All sorts," she stated, smiling. "But I won't bore you with such idle tales. They are rather... uncouth and barbaric."

"Please do," Hyousuke fumbled, and she laughed as the others nodded. "You clearly know quite a bit, and I'm incredibly curious."

Looking to her lap, Kikyou picked at a nail, considering, before finally looking upon them, a coy glint to her dark eyes. "The most fearsome opponent I have ever faced was a piece of possessed little treasure," she mused, and they all looked amongst themselves in confusion as she continued. "It could see into your soul, to your truest desires, and powerful as one may be, this jewel knew your weakness."

Daiki poured her another serving of sake, scooting closer, and as she continued her story, being sure to leave out names and specifics, she found herself truly enjoying herself. As the night went on, so did her consumption of the rice wine with her company, and before she knew it, they were all laughing jovially, especially when Kikyou made a joust at herself about being notorious for tripping in the worst of times, in the worst directions.

~O~

After a while, her entertainers got tired, and she stood, ready to take to her room, when Hyousuke rose and asked to walk with her. Wary at first, Kikyou glanced at him before agreeing. He stumbled a bit, far more drunk than he had expected to be, and pointed toward the hallway. "Let's go, then," he said, and she followed at his side.

"You're actually much more interesting than I expected," he mentioned, smiling to her. "I was expecting you to be a bore, like most of the girls I've met, and talk of nothing but pretty nothings and gossip."

"I have never had time for such things," Kikyou stated plainly, blinking through the haze of her drunken, exhausted mind. Hyousuke frowned, quirking a brow.

"Really? Never had time for anything like that at all?" All formality was lost in his voice, and Kikyou took comfort in the fact that at least he no longer sounded practiced in his words.

"I am a priestess, my Lord. Not a maidenly sprite. I am as much a soldier as any of the men you've stationed about your estate, and I have no time for pampering or jovial gossip."

As they approached her room, Hyousuke threw out an arm, stopping her, and turned to her. He looked at her, face twisted with an unreadable expression, and Kikyou bristled. "What are you doing, Hyousuke-sama?" she bit, clearly wanting none of what he might offer.

"That sounds... incredibly lonely," he said, and suddenly, just as she'd thought it had come, the threat in his face was gone. "I'm sorry for you. At least my soldiers have friends. You... clearly, you are alone, just as you were found."

It felt as though she turned to stone at his words, and even after her body recovered, her heart seemed to stay sunken within her chest. "Such is my fate," she chided, stepping to the left, as if to pass him. He didn't allow it, and instead, grabbed her hand.

"I'm alone, too." he murmured, and Kikyou expected him to do as most men did when they were drunk, and move in on her. Instead, he looked at her delicate hand a moment, and sighed.

"Hyousuke-sama, I don't-"

He cut her off, raising a hand to silence her. Releasing her hand, he placed his own on her shoulder, and seemed as though he wished to say something before snatching his gaze away and wondering off down the hall without a word.

Kikyou was only a few feet away from her room when he took his leave, but after such a strange event, the walk into her space felt like a mile.

~O~

Kikyou awoke to the sound of songbirds outside her window, and her lashes felt heavy as clay as they fluttered awake. It was early morning, and as she sat up and stretched, a yawn caught her. It was still quite early, she discovered, and walked to her vanity.

She was shocked to see the charcoal that had framed her eyes so perfectly now faded and smeared along the sides of her eyes, and retrieving a cloth, she went to the bowl of water that sat upon the polished counter of the vanity. Wiping away the mess that was now upon her face, she was happy to see her face plain and fresh again. To her relief, she'd remembered to take the combs from her hair in her drunken stumble to the futon, or that would have been an entirely different ordeal to face.

Dressing herself in her miko kimono, she brushed through her hair, noting that her locks still held the smell of lavender and almond, and a smile came upon her lips. In a hurry to be ready, she tied her hair back in its usual loose pony tail, and grabbed her bow and quiver from the corner of the room. As fun as last night had been- despite the lingering pain in her head the reminded her perhaps it was too much fun- it was time to get to her duties.

Looking to the floor, she retrieved that leather satchel that Ami had given her, stating that it was yet another gift from Hyousuke. It was light weight, yet durable, and Kikyou wondered how the man was quite so thoughtful. Most men would shower a woman with gifts, certainly, but to be so considerate from what she assumed was a moderate description of her? It seemed out of character.

Tucking the scroll and ink brush away within, she sighed, tossing it over her shoulder so that it rested upon her opposite hip. Ready to face the day, she stepped from her room and made her way to the front of the estate, where Daiki and his archers were waiting for her, with the Captain himself looking a bit worse for wear with a hang over. He greeted her, careful to avoid the suns rays casting upon his eyes, before introducing her to the troops. All bowing respectfully, she thanked them, before letting them form around her in a circle and setting forth.

As they stepped out into the streets in the midst of early morning, Kikyou marveled at the bustle of the city. Having never traveled to a place quite so populated, it was almost alarming how many people raced through the streets, from beggars to nobleman, all out and about for their days. Men pulling carts ran by as men shouted from atop them, and mothers quieted their children as they pulled them along, off to the market for whatever they needed.

It was overwhelming, really, and Kikyou found herself glad to be surrounded by the soldiers. As they finally approached the city outskirts, Kikyou breathed a sigh of relief, welcoming the familiar sights of trees and overgrown foliage. The archers chuckled at her, looking between themselves, and Kikyou gave them a puzzled look. "Why give me such a look?" she asked.

"You're clearly not used to the city," one said, pulling his helmet a bit lower. "'Course, guess we don't have much use for priestesses around here, seeing as the size of the city tends to keep demons away... or did." Looking back to the trees, Kikyou nodded.

"I suppose you're right. Demons tend to avoid largely populated areas... while we humans tend to be weaker, in numbers, we are not a force they would wish upon themselves."

Another of them grinned, crooked teeth and bristled chin gleaming at Kikyou, "Well, some of us are human. You're more like a kami, yourself. You don't really fit in with our type," he hummed, winking.

While Kikyou had known it was meant as compliment, it only reminded her of her days guarding the jewel, when she had been forced to be an outcast. Still, he wasn't wrong. "You flatter me," she'd hummed, deflecting a further statement.

The trek to the valley was long, the walk being at least three hours, and Kikyou remained quiet for most of it, unless one of the archers found need to ask her something of her strategy. What to do should one of the demons escape, how to know where they would flush out, and more. They shared rice cakes they had packed to eat along the way, and the food seemed to soothe the pounding in her head. As they approached the valley, though, Kikyou found herself unsettled.

There were hundreds of these vermin within these tunnels, and even from a distance, she could unmistakably sense them. She would have to station these archers appropriately, or this would go terribly wrong. Though she could put a barrier around herself and those near, if the demons went to attack the town, there was little she could do but pick off the ones that fled.

Stepping onto the top of the hill before it dipped within the valley, she rallied the twenty or so archers to her, and explained to them how to better eliminate any threat. She'd settled upon a plan for the sheer numbers, and it was to flush them out into the center, where she could easily purify the majority of them should any rush to escape. The archers would take their incendiary arrows and shower them within the tunnels along the side, sending the remainder of the monsters straight for her.

It was, to her highest hope, a flawless plan. As they spanned out as she'd asked, she waited, bow ready, and as she called for them to fire, she watched her plan unfold along the half-mile long stretch of burrows.

The beasts were larger, and even more abhorrent than she'd imagined. They were a thing of horrors, with bulging eyes and clawed, spindly legs. The pheromones they released left a stench she couldn't describe, and as they burned, they released a horrid, high pitch noise that was something like nails on a chalk board. As more and more pushed and fought to the front of the tunnel, clawing and biting each other for the first chance at freedom, they'd blocked their own escape point. It was more perfect than she'd thought. Kikyou drew back her bow, firing effortlessly, and her arrow coursed through the air like a comet within the stars, and when it struck, the insufferable things screeched in agony as they disintegrated into a shimmering mist.

She did this several more times, picking off the few that decided to take their chances within the blistering flames of the other burrow openings, and when all seemed settled, Kikyou finally sensed her- the queen. It was as if her youki was breathing, enraged deep within the center, and Kikyou gave a confident smirk. Either the flames would burn her out, or she would simply have to wait until the flames subdued to come and attack Kikyou.

The miko was ready.

The other archers rejoiced, and to her surprise, one of them even caught her up in a hug out of pure joy, before blushing profusely and meandering off, embarrassed with himself. Laughing, Kikyou rejoiced with them, and remembered suddenly why she had once loved helping people so. The happiness upon their faces was such a reward.

Daiki approached her then, and thumbed back down into the forest, grinning. "Is it safe to assume you've got it from here? I know my boys are hungry, and you've clearly got us outweighed anyway," he praised. Nodding, Kikyou sent them away, but not before accepting many other thanks and praises. Between hand pats and awkward embraces, she took it all graciously, charmed at their sincere thanks. As they made their way into the forests, delighted to take home good news, she found herself giggling, heart fluttering with joy.

It didn't take long for the flames to subside, only two more hours, and Kikyou paced towards the caves. It was then, as she approached, that she noticed that tucked away in a burrow opposite the others, separate from the nests, were many of the crops that had been stolen. Some appeared spoiled and rotten, but others looked fine, and while she was disappointed she hadn't noticed before, it was good they would be able to come and retrieve some of their lost food supply.

As soon as she set foot within the burrows, she heard the angry hiss of the queen, deep within the heart of the burrow. Eerie sounds of claws scratching upon stone and dirt approached her slowly,with the sound of something heavy and weighted dragging through the charred corpses of the remaining bodies. Kikyou simply waited, and when the putrid head of the queen turned the corner, the priestess sneered in disgust.

The only human thing of the queen was her head, with mangled hair and wide black eyes, while the rest of her was burned exoskeleton. Back in the shadows, Kikyou could see the pulsing, throbbing hind quarters, swollen with eggs nearly ready to be birthed. Nocking back an arrow, she aimed straight for the abomination, but it hissed chilling words right before she fired the arrow.

"Behind you."

As the arrow struck, making the queen burst and scream, Kikyou spun on her heels as she watched a boulder, seemingly from nowhere, burst forth from the forest and seal off the mouth of the burrows. All became black with darkness and Kikyou fumbled over a corpse, falling back on her rear, and she seethed. Making her reiki burst around her, she made the cave come alight, and looking about her, she saw the narrow crawl space she would have to clamber through to escape. It was only wide enough for her, though...

Pushing aside the charred legs of one of the demons, she let loose her hair, and tied her bow to her ankle, and pulling off her quiver, she knotted it to her other. Getting down on her hands and knees, she cursed to whoever had done this, and started making her way through the tight space, using her elbows to push herself through the dirt. It didn't take long for her to get to the end, where she was met with another stone, which was easily moved with a pulse of her spiritual powers. They couldn't quite move a boulder, but a large stone was easy enough.

Finally pulling herself through, she got to her feet, gently pulling her bow and quiver through with small baby steps forward. Finally, light shone from a distant opening, and tying her hair back into its pony tail, she put her bow and quiver back upon her shoulder as she stepped forth, temper fired at the notion that something had been so foolish as to think she could be sealed away with a _rock._

As she approached the mouth of the burrow, she felt the aura of whatever was at fault. Determination steering her fevered steps, and she nocked an arrow, aiming straight for her foolish assailant.

Turning the corner of the mouth, she looked out to where the storage had been, opposite the burrows, and she called out, voice stern and commanding, "Show yourself!"

A flash of red, a flash of white, and she fired, pinning her attacker to the hard, stony earth behind it as it tried to run, but as Kikyou realized what she'd struck, she felt herself nearly go faint.

The aura hadn't been the same, it was angrier, but it was weaker, and uncertain. There was no mistaking it though, and as he glowered back at her, he seemed ready to bite if need be, looking to her bow, where she had another arrow ready to loose.

"Well?" he cursed, growling, and he struggled to get loose from the current arrow as another whisked past his head and into his other sleeve, pinning him where he stood. "You've got some shitty aim there, wench!" Growling and tossing his head, he tried to push off with his feet, before looking back to her as she approached him. "What? Can't kill me from that distance? Those weak eyes of yours gotta get closer so you can see it better when you blow my head off?"

"Its you," she murmured, and she lowered her bow, eyes filling with tears, and she brought a hand to her lips, disbelieving.

"What? Are you crazy or something?" he scoffed, withdrawing, his aggression seeming to subside into something more like fear. "I don't know you, wench."

A smile broke out over her lips, and she laughed in the face of fate, elated and thrilled, hot tears falling from her cheeks. He blushed, watching her closely, nose twitching at her scent that was nothing but pure, unadulterated joy. "Why are you so happy...?"

She dropped her bow and quiver, wiping away some of the wet from her porcelain cheek.

"InuYasha."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

In Japan, the fox was considered one of the rain spirits, and a messenger of **Inari** the rice god. Here the fox also symbolizes longevity and protection from evil.

Kitsune (狐?, IPA: [kitsɯne] ( listen)) is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. According to Yōkai folklore, all foxes have the ability to shape shift into women.[1] While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others—as foxes in folklore often do—other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives.

 **Safflower** oil was the stain they used to paint a geisha's lips.


	3. Chapter 3

"How do you know my name?" The hanyou had frozen at the sound of her calling out to him, ears flattening, and struggled against the arrows that still held him fast to the earth behind him. He watched as the miko collected herself, finally standing before him with her proud demeanor once more, and he asked her again. "How do you know my _name_ , wench?!"

Watching the snarl that curled his lips and wrinkled his sun-kissed cheeks, Kikyou gave him a soft, wary smile as she approached him, timid and gentle, hands raised to show him she meant no harm. "You will not believe me if I tell you," she hummed, and the closer she got, the more he squirmed.

"Don't touch me!" he yelped, even going to bite the arrows, kicking out at her. "Listen, you crazy miko, as soon as I get down I'm going to tear you apart, so if you're going to kill me, just get it over with, or I swear you'll meet my claws!"

Sighing, Kikyou stopped before him, shaking her head. "I have no desire to hurt you, though knowing you, you would believe that as much as my saying the sky had suddenly become green."

Golden eyes cast down at her, and his thick brows furrowed. "Then what do you want with me? How... how do you _know my name?"_ He held still now, trying to hide his fear, but she didn't miss the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he glanced over her body, as if trying to decide where she would strike from.

"In... another world," she said, choosing her words carefully, "You and I are... very dear friends." InuYasha sneered at this, cutting her a glare. "Traveling companions, even. I was thrown into this world against my will by our common enemy, and I thought I would never see you again." Extending a hand to him, he flinched away from her, but she watched as his eyes fluttered open and he realized she was only brushing his silver locks away from his glistening brow. Blushing, he looked away, thinking, the conflict evident upon his features.

He was younger, she noted, but not by much. His cheeks and jaw remained defined, but it was his skin that caught her eyes. It seemed softer, almost, and his eyes held more fear than anger, as they had when she'd met him... though that fire was still certainly there, trying to burn through her. "I am sorry I shot at you," she apologized, and he looked back to her, growling.

"Get your filthy hands off me. I don't believe you, and I don't see how some filthy witch like you could ever be my _friend_ anyway. You smell like dead youkai and sweat."

"Your sense of smell," she said, and it was nearly startling how quick the idea came to her. InuYasha quirked a brow at her, confused that his insult had no effect. "What if I were to bring you my clothes from the other world, and let you smell our scents mingled on the fabrics? Would you believe me then?"

InuYasha stopped at this. Ears flicking forward, he looked her over, then to the arrows, and grumbled in disdain. "If you can bring me something to show me that I touched someone like you, sure. Just... let me down, damn it."

The smile that graced her face was genuine, and as she went to remove the first arrow, InuYasha braced himself. "I know you will run," she said, and his ears flattened to his head, "For I know you all to well. But please, make haste in your return. I will venture this way tomorrow with my kimono, and I do not wish to have to come and find you again." He scoffed at this, the first arrow coming loose, and as he went to snatch the arrow from his other sleeve, she took his hand, making him jolt at her gentle touch.

"Please, do not disappear. My heart cannot handle such a break again."

Tearing the other arrow away from him, he threw it at her feet, before he let out his usual, dismissive scoff. "Keh!"

As soon as he'd come, he was gone again, and disappeared into the lines of the trees. Kikyou watched him, a hand going to rest over her heart as the force of his escape made her hair toss in his wind, and she prayed that he would return to her, a familiar loneliness coming to creep up from her bones.

She couldn't see the way he looked back at her from the tree lines, the heart breaking look upon her face as she stood in the valley stirring feelings within him he had long forgotten.

~O~

Kikyou had returned to the village with haste, and as she arrived, she was greeted with praises once more. Rushing through her explanation that the demons were all indeed dead, she made the excuse she was tired, returning to the Kokujin's estate in more than a simple hurry.

Heading straight for her room, she searched desperately for her kimono, and upon finding it, gave way to a heaving sigh of relief. She packed it away within her leather satchel, closing it tightly, wanting to preserve whatever scent may still linger upon it. Tucking it away within her vanity, being sure to keep it from being cleaned, she dropped her bow and quiver into the corner before sending for Ami.

The girl had come running, elated, and Kikyou smiled at the sight of her. "I need to bathe and dress quickly, Ami. I must do quite a bit of studying, and I would prefer to make haste, for I am sure our dear Fujiwara-sama will ask me to join him for dinner once more."

"Of course, Kikyou-sama." Leading the way to the bath houses, Ami looked her over, sighing, noting that her kimono was filthy. "How it is you manage to get so dirty is beyond me," she joked, and the miko found herself giggling.

"I got trapped in one of the caves and had to crawl out," she told, and her little hand maiden turned white.

"You got trapped? How terrifying! How? What trapped you?"

"Oh, it was just a demon, going to cause trouble. Such are the consequences of wandering out into the forests... and especially when exterminating youkai."

"Ohh, yes, I would expect so." Tapping her chin, Ami and Kikyou turned a corner, the other servants bowing as they passed. "It reminds me of when the taijiya passed through a few months back. They were such threatening looking soldiers, but most were so kind!"

Kikyou picked up her pace, looking to Ami. "Oh, so you have seen the taijiya? Do you know where they're from?"

Nodding, Ami pointed to the bath house as they finally arrived. "Oh, yes. They're about 15 miles to the East. You know," she said, whispering to Kikyou as she pulled open the doors, "Some say they have a treasure there that they must eternally defend. The result of some long ago battle, between a miko and many, many demons."

Eyes turning bitter, Kikyou hurried as she undressed, looking to Ami over her shoulder. "Is that so?"

Nodding, Ami gathered the filthy kimono that fell at Kikyou's feet, moving it away for the time being as Kikyou stepped into the bath. "Apparently, they have to try and keep what it is a secret, because its an object of power like no other. No one knows what it is, though. It may not even be real..."

"Behind every fiction, there is a truth." Kikyou said the words with and audible disdain, the words seeming to drip from her tongue like poison. Ami took notice of the very evident upset upon Kikyou's face, and bit her tongue. As the miko began bathing herself, Ami took a nervous leave, and Kikyou asked that she bring her a kimono to wear.

"Of course, I'll be back soon, Kikyou-sama. I would hurry if I were you, if you want time to visit our library."

It was not long before Ami had returned and Kikyou was already standing in the dressing room, waiting for the little hand maiden. Ami noted that again, Kikyou had chosen the smell of lavender and almond, and decided that she should likely tell Hyousuke-sama of her finding... it would make a lovely perfume.

Kikyou dressed quickly, having Ami only comb the oils through her hair and line her eyes to save time. Ami tied her long, raven tendrils back in a loose ponytail, very near the end of her hair, as was traditional for most noble women. She wore the red kimono now, with cranes dancing about the sleeves and feet of the lovely robes. The collar was wider on this particular one, and it exposed the delicate curves of Kikyou's shoulders and collar bone, along with the nape of her slender neck. She looked regal, Ami thought, and if she were to somehow become a part of the Kokujin's house, she would be perfect in looks, though most men would likely find her stern heart threatening. This was a woman as able, if not more so, than any man, in a world where women were meant to keep quiet and decorate a room.

Ami knew Kikyou would never allow that.

Soon, they made their way to the library and Kikyou dove into the scrolls, Ami setting off to fetch the priestess a snack before dinner, sure she was hungry.

The library was astounding, really, with weaving shelves and tables scattered about. While it wasn't huge, it was certainly full, and spacious. Paintings hung about with images full of history and scenic views, and it was accented in dark, foresty greens. The dark, rich wood that the furniture and shelving were made from gave it a peaceful feel, and Kikyou was pleased to find all was quiet within, aside from the soothing bird calls that could be heard through the large windows.

Kikyou littered one of the low tables with scrolls, parchment, and anything else she could find on the history of her time period, and it was not long before she discovered _when_ she was. Edo had only newly been established, she came to find, placing her nearly 100 years behind her own time. Biting her lip, she suddenly realized how old InuYasha had to have been to have only regained _some_ youth after a hundred years. It also explained the change in his personality, even if slight.

She also discovered that Ami had been right, that no one was aware of the Shikon Jewel yet, and were only aware of the battle between Midoriko and the demons. Skimming through some of the documents, some even tried to go and claim that they thought the artifact likely to be a fang, though it was impossible to tell in the midst of the many demons within her cave. The taijiya had done well to retrieve it before anyone else, she presumed.

Taking comfort that she still had time to go and get it before much worse happened, she gathered the few scrolls and maps she thought she needed most, before putting the rest away on their shelves. This was taking more time than she would have liked, seeing as she had brought out nearly fifty, and this entire place was alphabetized and put into respective categories. Not wishing to be rude, Kikyou sighed as she plucked through the readings, attempting to find their proper homes again. Then, a familiar aura came upon her, and she looked over her shoulder to see Hyousuke, scrolls in arm, admiring her irritated pursuit of organization. "Would you like some help, Kikyou-sama?"

Standing to her full height, Kikyou looked him over, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, inspecting him curiously as she nodded. "I would appreciate that very much, if you would be so kind, my Lord."

Hyousuke seemed to enjoy her approval, and went to tucking away the scrolls, all the while inspecting what she was looking at. "Seems you have a love of history," he hummed, looking down to her. He was quite a bit taller than her, Kikyou noted, now that she was not intoxicated, and his presence loomed over her.

"Quite. I find it fascinating to discover how it is we've gotten to where we are now." While her statement seemed bland enough, really, it was the truth for her... especially now.

"I like it a good bit, myself. Though, I like the stories of other things, more. That is to say..." he noted the knitting of her brow, and he couldn't help but smile. "The stories of farmers who've gone and saved a village, and other such things. I live in politics, I prefer not to read them at my leisure."

"How curious," she said, and she watched as he put away the scrolls with ease, knowing where they belonged. "I suppose it would be a bore to study what you live in, day in and day out."

Nodding, Hyousuke smiled as he went to retrieve more of the items, and handed some to Kikyou as he returned to his task. "It does." Turning to him, she watched as his chestnut curls danced over his shoulder and he moved with a bounce in his step. She couldn't help but notice his new found flippant nature around her. He seemed... less reserved. "About last night," he suddenly chimed, and Kikyou shook her head, making him stop in his sentence.

"You needn't worry, dear. I would prefer you be open, than practiced and rigid, as you were. While it was odd, I hold no contempt. You seem more yourself." Looking back to her work, Hyousuke blushed, face blanking with a confused blink.

"You don't find me... odd?"

"Odd, yes. Strange or offensive, however, are not words I would use to describe you." Finally finishing, she looked back to him, and he held the remaining items awkwardly as he looked at her, before finally going to put away the last of the scrolls.

Unable to contain a feathery laugh, she covered her lips, and Hyousuke gave her an uncertain smirk, shrugging. "Well... good to know, then." he said, before looking towards the door. "Ready to head to dinner? It should be ready, soon. I can help you get these to your room, for now, and then we can go together." Grabbing up the ones she'd set aside, Kikyou smiled, and let him lead her down the halls and to her room.

After she'd tucked away the scrolls within her quarters, Hyousuke offered her an arm, and she took it with timid fingers, looking to him with a worrying expression. "Don't fret," he hummed. "I simply want to escort you."

"Is that not what most any man will say when he wishes to give a woman a false sense of security?"

"True," he stated, before leading her down the hall, "But I am not forcing you to do this. You can let go at any time."

"I do not want to give you any ideas," she finally sighed, voice flat.

"None taken." Smiling to her, Kikyou boggled at him, before shaking her head, and simply let him lead.

They arrived in the elaborate dining room once again, and Kikyou enjoyed the sight of the new lanterns they had decorated with, cheerful crickets hopping across them in a charming pattern. As they entered, Seiichi seemed to grin at the sight of the miko dangling upon his son's arm, and Kikyou glanced to Hyousuke, who gave her an assuring smirk. It seemed to tell her exactly as she had thought- perhaps they could avoid awkward insinuations this evening.

Settling as they had the night before, they exchanged pleasantries as the food was brought to them, and after the table was set and the tea poured, they began speaking of the day's events. Daiki Sato boasted of her unrivaled prowess, and Kikyou took the compliments with grace, much to the overzealous joy of Seiichi, and frightened gasps of Chikako. Hyousuke listened to her with a keen interest, and Kikyou retold her tale of going in to defeat the queen for the entertainment of her hosts.

"I will be going back tomorrow to be sure that there are no eggs that I may have missed," she lied, taking another bite of her rice. "It wouldn't do well for me to have missed a nest by mistake, though I am quite sure I was thorough. I will need a horse, if I may borrow one, my Lord."

Seiichi smoothed his beard, nodding. "Alright. Will you be needing assistance?"

Shaking her head, Kikyou took a sip of her tea, smiling. "It is a terribly easy task, I was simply filthy and hungry come the end of my venture today, and hurried here. As I said, I was thorough, but I would like to check again, if only for my own assurances."

"That seems like a good plan. Alright, then, I will lend you one of my mares tomorrow, and have the servants pack you a lunch."

"You have my thanks," She'd remarked, before going to listen to Chikako, who began to tell the tale of a most abhorrent toad they had found in the kitchen earlier that day.

Kikyou noted how incredibly normal all of this seemed, and it dawned upon her that it _was_.

This was what she had always wanted, _normalcy_ , and yet she itched to set out again tomorrow, only to see a boy who was anything but, out in the wilderness, that was nothing like the sheltering halls she sat within now.

Setting down her tea, she feigned her exhaustion, and asked to be excused, to which worried faces quickly agreed, asking if she was alright. "Of course," she said, before standing to take her leave, "I just had not realized how very tired I am, and I wish to get my rest before I go tomorrow."

She'd left before they had the chance to offer her escorts or call for Ami, and she went to her room, closing the door behind her with haste, and leaned her back against the wall. Her reflection stared at her from the vanity, and Kikyou studied the woman within the mirror as if she had never seen her before.

How long had she longed for this? Was this what the jewel had meant to happen to her? To force upon her the realization that this life, this complacency that she had sought after with such a bitter determination, was simply... boorish?

The relief was nice, certainly, to have a place to rest one's head in the evening in a home that was not made of straw and timber, but to have lived in this day in and day out, dressed like a doll and treated as if she had the mind of a child, she would have certainly perished from her own boredom.

She had once begged to be normal, and now, as she slid down the wall and drew her knees to her chest, she realized that normalcy had not been what she wanted. What she had wanted, all along, was to be _free._ Free of the burden of judgement and duty, free of the constant plight of looking over her shoulder...

 _Free to love._

Those words she had spoken so soon after her revival rang in the back of her mind. Looking up from her seat upon the floor, she cut her gaze at the sight of herself, and caught her breath. That was part of her selfish heart- the way she had whined and brooded over her life- when it reality, she was simply refusing to look at it within the perspective she should have.

Refusing to falter this time, she stood, grabbing her bow and quiver from the corner, and snatched her satchel from the vanity drawer. She stepped from her room and into the gardens. Cutting through in the forming darkness of night, she went to the stables, careful to avoid the servants that paced down the pathways, and as she stepped in, she chose her mare. One of the stable hands saw her and asked her where she was going, and she told him a tale of a demonic aura she thought she might have sensed, and wanting to investigate. She told him to give no cause for alarm as she would return very soon, and raced off into the night upon the back of a black steed, and Kikyou noted that it did as the *samurai trained their horses- responded to weight and legs, rather than reins. It was a perfect steed, should she need to use her bow.

As the horse pounded its hooves along the ground, Kikyou looked to the sky, the last rays of the sun beginning to fade, and was glad to see it, as she would be difficult to follow. She raced into the forest, having no real direction, until she came upon a clearing in the midst of the thick woods, and her horse gave pause, slowing. Dismounting, she soothed and thanked the beast, and stepped out into the grass.

The fresh smell of the settling dew lingered in her senses, and she gazed upwards to the stars. She was not sure why she had run- or even, what she was running from. Perhaps she had simply needed to get away.

Red kimono billowing in the gentle breeze, she looked out into the forest, and suddenly felt much more at home... this solitude was what she had become accustomed to, after all. Her soul catchers had long been her only company, aside from the kind-eyed Kohaku in those last few weeks. Thinking back to him, falling from the cliff, she pinched her brow, and still, the question rang in her mind. _Why had he been there?_

Kikyou had held no notion of surviving that fight, but she had thought, at the very least, they would have done measurable damage. Yet Kohaku had appeared, without rhyme or reason, and it seemed so incredibly _strange._ The boy was not a fool, so why?

She suddenly recalled Kouga, and Kikyou felt frozen a moment. Had Midoriko controlled Kohaku as she had Kouga's legs? Was this all part of the jewel's plan?

Jerked from her own thoughts, Kikyou spun on her heel at the sudden sound of a cry within the forest, followed by the shouts and hollering of men. Climbing back onto her horse, she kicked off, and as the horse raced towards the source of the racket, the sounds became more clear. Clanging metal and one feverished voice cursing at the assailants, who cackled and mocked with every strangled scream the first voice gave.

"Thought you could steal from us, huh? Well, we tracked you down, you half breed. And now, it looks like you've gone and lost your powers, huh?"

Kikyou looked up to the sky, and she was suddenly aware of the lack of the moon. Only the stars painted across the sky, and her heart sank in her chest. Panicked, she nocked an arrow, and as her and the horse burst from the tree lines, what she now saw were bandits panicked. InuYasha was several feet away from them, his long hair ebony black, claws and fangs having left him for the new moon, trapped under several ropes. All turned to her, but it was too late. She fired an arrow that sank into the ground at the bandits' feet and exploded, and out of sheer fear, they all scrambled back.

"Leave!" she commanded, and when another raised a sword to attack, she quickly shot the weapon from his hand. "Leave now, or hell will have more pity upon your souls."

"I don't think she'd kidding, boys, look at the ground." Another shot fired, and it made them jump away again. As they stumbled over themselves, Kikyou looked to InuYasha, and lept from her horse. The bandits took off running, and Kikyou fell to her knees at his side, using one of her arrows to cut him free from his trappings.

"It... it's you," he mumbled, looking at her with a terrified expression, doing his best to sit up. His face was covered in bruises, bottom lip busted and crusted with blood, and his right eyebrow still split from a blow to the head. Kikyou cupped his face in her hands, her mahogany eyes wandering over his beaten visage, and the look she gave him was lovingly frightened.

"Are you alright, InuYasha?" she whispered, moving closer, and gently helping him to sit up. He refused to meet her gaze, looking away, the pain in his face evident. Ashamed of his weakness, he leaned away from her, and dusted off his kimono.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he growled, before going to stand, only to collapse again. Kikyou caught him in her arms, and despite his irritated cursing, gently moved the both of them a few steps closer to a tree to sit down beside him, letting him lean against her. Knowing he could do little to move away from her, he instinctively hid his face within her hair, and she could hear the sound of him gritting his teeth beneath her ear.

With one arm supporting him, she raised another hand to create a barrier around them, the soft, shining pink of it a warning to any potential threats. Then, to the best of her ability, she used her powers to soothe his pain, and he huffed and grunted as she healed his minor wounds with feathery touches. "Why?" he asked, still refusing to look to her.

InuYasha hated the sensation of her holding him like this. Only because she was so _warm,_ so _soft_ , and so comforting. He felt vulnerable beneath the sweeping touch of her finger tips, and the way she was so tenderly caring for him. His body ached from far too many kicks to the gut, and his face throbbed and trembled from hard boots pounding him into the ground.

Yet, there she had been, as if some force of fate had brought her to him. He had been sure he would die, but like a light in the darkness, she'd erupted forth into his world, and chased away his fears. With being human, he felt as if he'd gone deaf, blind, and could hardly breathe- his demon sense were so keen, and yet now, voices were like a shout in the distance, and smell was almost nonexistent. His eyesight went from sharp, able to cut through darkness, to blind in the dimmest of lights. He was _terrified_ when they'd attacked him.

"Because, you are... the one dearest to my heart," she whispered, leaning her cheek against his forehead, careful not to move him.

"I don't know you," he reminded her. "I have no idea who you are." Shifting against her, he caught scent of the oils in her hair, the floral, nutty scent giving him something to focus upon in his uncomfortable state.

"My name is Kikyou," she spoke softly.

"How... how did we meet? How do I know you ain't lying?" His voice was struggling and harsh, masking that beneath the surface, his human emotions made him struggle within himself. He wanted to enjoy this, to trust her, but he knew better.

"I was the guardian of a mighty artifact," she whispered, combing slender fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him. To his dismay, it was working. "You sought it out to become a full demon, and thought to kill me at first, but we soon discovered we could not kill each other. I never tried to harm you when you would attack, and you, despite having the opportunities, never sought to harm me."

"So, I just wanted something from you, and ended up _liking_ you? That's a stupid story, there, wench." Settling against her, he finally accepted that even as he wanted to, he couldn't move from her embrace.

"Oh, I am not sure why you took to me, truly. I was the one that took to you. You would watch me from the tree lines, doing your best to decide how to steal the jewel from me, and finally, I simply asked you to sit with me one day."

"Yeah, I'm sure I just hopped right over, all trusting and sweet-faced, huh?" The sarcasm dripped from his words, and Kikyou laughed.

"Oh, no. You got quite sore with me, actually. I asked you what you thought of me, and you quickly put me in my place."

"I did, huh?" Scratching his nose, he sighed. "What'd you say to me, anyway?"

"I asked you what you thought of me... if I looked ordinary to you. I told you why I could never kill you."

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Because we were both outcasts. I, a priestess, who could show no weakness, and you, a half demon, who could not, either. Both of us could never truly be human or our other selves, and so we were... alone."

"That sounds like a real pity party you're throwin'." he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"That's exactly what you said," she laughed, and InuYasha looked back to her. "I believe your exacts words were 'Stop your complaining, we've all got our own crosses to bear.' and then, you went to storm off."

"Huh, yeah, that sounds... right. So then what?" Without realizing it, he was looking to her now, intrigued with the story.

"I'm not sure, really. You started coming around more often, and you protected me... and in turn, I protected you. We shared our meals, and went on many adventures."

"So how'd you end up here, then?"

"...I died," she said, looking to the grass beneath them. "An evil man set us against each other, and tried to get me to kill you. I couldn't do it, though, and simply sent you into a slumber, while I, myself, died with the artifact he was trying to obtain."

"You... died? And you sealed me away? Thought you said we didn't fight each other? How's that possible?" He glared at her now, and Kikyou sighed, resting her face in her palm.

"Our story is insanity, InuYasha. Afterwards, fifty years later, a girl came from the future, much like myself, and saved you from my arrow, and I was revived with my grave yard soil. We fought for a time, but eventually, we all had the same goal, and I set off, where as you joined your companions to kill the man who killed me."

"If all that's true, _and I still think you're crazy_ , why didn't you come with me?" he barked. "Why'd you go off on your own?"

"You were in love with the girl," she spoke, sadness lingering in her gaze as Kikyou looked away.

"In love with-? _What?_ Even if I was, what's that got to do with anything?" He struggled to look at her now, angry. "If we were so close, and such _good_ friends, that ended up _dying together_ , why didn't you help me out at the end, huh? What, you a coward or something?"

"I suppose," she said, looking to him, cutting him an angry glare. "But not for reasons you are thinking."

"Then what?" he sneered, pulling away from her.

"I loved you," she bit. "But I was dead, and you were very much alive. Despite our promises, you had found a new love, and I was bitter that I had lost the life I had with you."

"You... loved me?" he said, face falling into a disbelieving expression, and it was clear on his face he found her ridiculous. "So you were just a jealous old broad?"

The look she gave him could have frozen hot coals, and he bristled suddenly, realizing what he'd done. "You best be thankful you are already in such pain," she spoke.

"So... were you...?" he whispered, and Kikyou suddenly sighed, burying her face in her hands, and hummed in frustration.

"No, InuYasha. You wanted to die with me," she said, collecting herself, before meeting his gaze again, "And I could not let you do that. That is the truth."

"Sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me," he sighed, looking out into the sky, holding his side. He did his best to lay himself down, and despite her fiery anger, Kikyou did her best to help him settle. She said nothing when his head ended up in her lap, and she brushed his bangs from his eyes.

"Most things do, to you, I suppose. When the sun rises, and you regain your powers, I will give you my old robe... and perhaps then you will see I speak the truth."

"Whatever," he grumped, and she saw how tired he suddenly was, his chocolate eyes heavy. "Keep tellin' me about stuff we did. I like hearin' about makin' you feel weird."

Rolling her eyes, Kikyou settled against the tree, and with a sigh, began telling him of their adventures. "Well, at one point, there was one demon that had the most foul stench when we set out to find it, and you lost your stomach all upon my feet right as I drew back my bow..."

She stayed with him until morning, barrier protecting them in the dark of night.

~O~O~O~

"What do you mean she's _gone_?" Seiichi yelled, slamming his hands down on his desk. Hyousuke stepped back and away, clenching his fists, swallowing the fear that hung in his throat.

"No one saw her leave except a lone stable hand, he said she set off to inspect a demonic aura and never returned, she was frantic." Shoulders shaking, Hyousuke had to convince his feet not to run. His father was terrifying when he was like this.

Seiichi came forward, his stony form shaking the paintings upon the wall with every heavy step, and grabbed his son up by the collar of his kimono, pulling him inches from his face. "You get on a fucking horse, and you bring her back here, or you'll wind up dead from some unexplained causes, you lowly shit. She was going to be the only redeemable thing about you, and you couldn't even pull that off."

"Y-yes, father," Hyousuke stuttered out, leaning away from his father's gritting teeth. Seiichi threw his son's lithe form to the ground, and the thud could be heard from down the hall. Hyousuke let out a silent cry as he landed back on his ribs, head cracking against the hard, wooden floor. Lifting himself to stand, he tried to hide the tears that scattered down his eyes from the sharp, throbbing pain, and ran out into the estate grounds, feet pounding against the dewy morning grass with urgency. Finding one of the storage units, he shut himself inside. His chest heaved with heavy, panicked gasps, and Hyousuke gripped at his side, the place of impact hurting horribly, and he sobbed from the pain alone.

It wasn't moments later than the door burst open, and Hyousuke jumped at the sudden sight of morning light shining in the dark room, but upon seeing the face that came with the arrival, he collapsed into the warmth of one of the stable hands, Hisashi.

"Hyousuke, what happened? One of the servant girls sent for me, said your father is being erratic again."

"I have to go find her, Hisashi. I have to, but my side, I just-" his words and thoughts were scrambled, and the man pulled Hyousuke into his arms as his body rattled with his cries.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know she would disappear. I should have warned you. I'll go with you, we'll find her." Hisashi lifted the delicate chin of the noble, face drawn up in concern.

Looking up to Hisashi, Hyousuke let out a small sigh as Hisashi wiped away his tears, planting a kiss on the noble's forehead.

"It will be alright, my love. _I'm so sorry."_

~O~O~O~

Kikyou awoke with a start as her barrier was tampered with, only to hear the yelp of InuYasha as his hand sizzled against her reiki. He frantically shook off the pain, before popping the burnt finger within his mouth, trying to soothe it.

"D'hat rearry hurt," he whined, ears flat against his head, and Kikyou gave him a pitying look.

"Perhaps one should not touch purifying powers if they've regained their demonic ones."

Pulling his finger from his mouth, he sneered, looking her over. "Yeah, well, you were over there sleepin' the day away, so I figured I'd go!" Crossing his arms, his pouting was palpable, and Kikyou rolled her eyes, smiling.

"A moment," she said softly, standing to her feet. Stretching out, she let loose a yawn before reaching down to her satchel and bringing out her folded kimono. "Here," she spoke softly, dropping the cloth into his arms.

InuYasha groaned as he unfolded the thing, and then, with a curious nose, he sniffed over the heavy fabric. As he did, he caught all of the smells she'd mentioned- grave yard soil, death, despair, fear, and most importanly, _his._

It was different, if only a little, but the sweat that soaked into her haori was unmistakable. She was absolutely covered in him, like he'd been cradling her close, and the scents mingled there were the same smell that came off of lovers' that he'd witnessed, arm in arm, or tucked under some tree as they kissed and cooed.

He'd been in love with her.

There was a sadness to it, too. It was heavy in their mix, and InuYasha looked to her, ears forward and alert. The miko gave him a soft smile, holding herself about the waist, shrugging at his confused expression.

"This some kind of witch craft?" he asked, before moving on to other areas, where he smelled another girl upon Kikyou. The scent was fiery and lively, full of strong perfumes, and _jealous,_ he noted, though it was nearly hidden under the adrenaline that had apparently been dripping from the girl.

"No," Kikyou spoke softly. "That is what I was wearing when I was brought here, and it has all the evidence of the battle still upon it."

"Must be what all this demonic smell is, then." he said, inspecting other areas more. "Smells like a bunch of them at once... the hell were we fighting?" Quirking a brow, InuYasha returned her clothes to her, crossing his arms.

"Remember the man that I mentioned? The one that turned us against each other because he reserved such affection for me?"

"Ya left out the love part, but yeah, the one that made you go all crazy and seal me."

Pursing her lips, she refrained from making a retort before continuing. "Well, the reason he was able to fool me so was because he absorbed many demons. That is who we were fighting."

"So our main enemy is some smashed together demon-man that's got the hots for you? Well then, why the hell did he go and make you seal me away? What'd I have to do with that artifact-thing you had and his crush on you?"

She looked at him with a blank expression, as if marveling that he didn't know.

Leaning in, he narrowed his eyes, "Well?"

"You are no fool, InuYasha. Do not pretend you do not know." Quirking a brow, she challenged him to argue with her, and he stepped back, suddenly nervous.

"We were...? But I thought you said I loved some other girl?" Frazzled, he looked between her and the kimono, unsure of how to react.

"You did."

"But then how-? Two?"

"Yes."

Bristling, InuYasha crossed his arms, eyeing her. "So you and I were a thing, huh? And some other girl-"

"My reincarnation," Kikyou added, and InuYasha sat down, knees out and palms on the ground, bewildered.

"That makes it _more_ complicated!" he said, gritting his teeth. "I'm alone, all the time, with no one, and now you're telling at some other point in time I'm a two timer with friends and an enemy?"

Nodding, Kikyou kneeled to his side, meeting his gaze. "I'm afraid so. You have quite the circle of admirers, to speak truly. You are a hero."

"I don't even know what to _do_ with this information!" he grumbled, crossing his arms, and turning away. "Why'd ya have to bring that kimono? What do you want from me?"

"Company, if you would give it," she said, moving closer.

He looked at her, sighing heavily. "You _really_ died for me?" he asked, glancing to the kimono, which still smelled of death, her death, and grave yard soil.

"Do not follow me for that reason," she demanded, sitting back, and her sudden irritation caught him off guard. "I will not have that be the reason you accompany me, if you so choose. I will not have you feel guilty over me. I am alive now, and you will not linger on that thought." Her gaze was serious, and InuYasha's gaze faltered back down to the grass, where he picked at the shimmering blades that danced in the breeze.

He sat there a long moment, and Kikyou watched as the flurries of emotions danced across his face until he finally looked back to her, a confidence-lacking frown betraying his self doubt.

"I mean, if it'll keep you from whining all the time," he bit. "Gettin' real tired of listenin' to your sob stories."

The uncertainty fell from his features when she smiled at him, but this time, the sweet expression held no loneliness, no fear, no sadness. It was pure, and she was happy as she reached for his hand, taking it within her own.

"I will never speak ill again, if you stay at my side."

"Keh," he scoffed, looking away, but Kikyou didn't miss the blush that rose upon his cheeks.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 ** _Horses in East Asian_** warfare are inextricably linked with the strategic and tactical evolution of armed conflict. A warrior on horseback or horse-drawn chariot changed the balance of power between civilizations.

When people with horses clashed with those without, horses provided a huge advantage. When both sides had horses, battles turned on the strength and strategy of their mounted horsemen, or cavalry. Military tactics were refined in terms of the use of horses.[1]

As in most cultures, a war horse in East Asia was trained to be controlled with limited use of reins, responding primarily to the rider's legs and weight.[2] Horses were significant factors in the Han-Hun Wars and Wuhu incursions on China,[3] and the Mongol conquest of much of Eurasia and into Europe;[4] and they played a part in military conflicts on a smaller, more localized scale.


	4. Chapter 4

Welcome to chapter four of Tattered Depravity! Our story is finally starting to take shape and move forward. There may or may not be some simple edits that are done to this chapter through out the week, but I've honestly spent so much time on this chapter that I have to make myself go ahead and post it or I will pick it apart until its gone.

 __

 _But you had such persistence, you wore down my resistance_  
 _I fell and it was swell_  
 _I'm your big and brave and handsome Romeo_  
 _How I won you I shall never never know_

 _I've Got A Crush On You- Frank Sinatra  
_

* * *

Hisashi sighed as Hyousuke leaned against him, silent in his defeated turmoil, gripping his lover's waist with little effort as they rode through the forest. The tracks from Kikyou's mare had been hard to find, but after he had, he realized the horse had essentially held the lead. The mare had run off and out into the clearing where he most often took the horses to play, deep in the woods, away from the cramped streets and training grounds. She'd ridden longer than he'd thought she would have, seeing as it was nearly an hour's gallop in, but when he arrived, he saw that she'd wandered even further after pausing. The grass was bent where the horse had stood and meandered, until it had raced off with her again.

After a hard right into the tree lines he came to see the breaks in the brush and vine where she'd emerged. Tattered rope-net and weapons lay about, scattered, as if from a battle, and Hyousuke went pale at the sight.

"Did... they catch her?" he wondered.

"If they did, she got out." Hisashi noted, looking to the deep holes in the ground, and Kikyou's arrows resting at their center. "It looks more like she rescued someone, though."

"That must be why she went running," Hyousuke sighed, shaking his head. "But where is she?"

"It looks like she wandered off again, but at a much more relaxed pace. Look," Hisashi pointed to the fresh hoof tracks. "Maybe those will lead us to her."

"Those... aren't going to the village," Hyousuke noted.

"Time to go fetch our little miko," Hisashi groaned. "Seems she's gone and gotten lost."

"I hope she's alright," Hyousuke sighed, brow knitting with worry.

~O~

"I don't know why you gotta deal with that thing," InuYasha grumped, pointing to the horse that drank at the river bank in the soft light of the morning sun. "It ain't doin' nothin' but wasting time."

"Patience, InuYasha. She is thirsty, as I was. She stayed with us the entire night, did she not?"

"Yeah, well, if we gotta go back to this town o' yours, I don't see how waitin' around is gonna help the situation."

"You are nervous," she said, and InuYasha's initial irritability seemed to fall apart into a frantic anger at the mention of him _maybe_ having doubts.

"No," he growled, sneering, the pitch of his voice traveling upwards as he went on, "You're the one that's nervous! A miko dragging me into a scum filled town isn't exactly your best plan!"

"You do not have to enter if you do not wish to. I will come and retrieve you after I have gotten my scrolls, if it will help you feel safe." Smiling to him, she stepped closer, only to have him tighten his shoulders and pull away.

"I don't have a problem feeling _safe_ , you-" he stopped his rant as she raised a hand, pointing to the forest, and InuYasha lifted his nose to the air, catching scent.

"You know 'em?" he asked, and she could see the way his feet planted onto the ground, ready to bolt.

"I do. One, at least." she spoke, and went to stand in front of InuYasha as Hyousuke and Hisashi appeared in the shadows of the trees a few yards away. "Stay close, I do not think they intend harm. They are likely searching for me."

Crossing his arms, InuYasha glared at the back of her head, grumbling with impatience as he saw the two men come into full sight on horse back.

"Kikyou-sama!" Hyousuke called, and the miko sighed at the sight of him. "Kikyou-sama, we've been searching everywhere!"

"Fear not, I am fine, I simply have yet to return. My steed was thirsty."

"Who's he?" Hisashi glared, looking to InuYasha, and his gaze hung on the ears that sat atop the hanyou's head. "Miko-sama, why is there a demon in your presence?"

"His name is _InuYasha_ ," Kikyou said his name with a sense of command, "And you will call him as such. He is my companion, and we have been reunited."

Hyousuke slid down from the horse, tenderly holding his side, and looked InuYasha over with an initial fear. With cracking knuckles and a sneer, InuYasha intimidated the noble, and Hyousuke bit his lip. "Sorry," he said. "I wasn't meaning to stare, I've just never seen a demon up close."

"Get a little closer and I'll show you what our fists looks like," he barked, nose scrunched.

"Try it," Hisashi bit, and Kikyou and Hyousuke exchanged a worried glance as the two men went to exchange insults that appeared to be more empty testosterone than actual threats.

"Who is he?" Kikyou whispered to Hyousuke, who sighed heavily.

"I suppose I can tell you, seeing the company you keep." When Kikyou cut her eyes at him, he waved off her worry. "It wasn't an insult! His ears are adorable!"

"What?!" InuYasha squawked, only to have Hisashi snatch his hair, and the two men returned to their squabble.

"His name is Hisashi, and he is my lover," Hyousuke spoke, the words crumbling as if they had never been spoken.

"Oh," Kikyou muttered, brows raising in shock. "Well, that explains much," she smiled, and Hyousuke let out a heaving groan of relief when she agreed to keep it secret from the other nobles. Looking to Hisashi, Kikyou studied him, and could see why Hyousuke was so enamored.

He was a tall man, likely meeting Hyousuke's eyes, with honey-olive skin and an almost owlish look to him. His bright eyes sat round above defined cheeks with pointed brows for frame, and his nose was thin and had a gentle hook to it. His boxed jaw suited him well and sat over thick shoulders and strong arms that led to hands scarred and nicked from working his horses tirelessly. He was truly charming in looks, and she laughed at the way his pony tail tossed as he fussed and cursed at InuYasha for being disrespectful to a noble, _his_ noble.

"What do I care how many people he's got runnin' around for him," InuYasha snapped. "Not like he's doin' me any favors while he sits all pretty in his room!"

"You pompous-!"

"That's enough," Kikyou sighed, taking InuYasha's arm and gently leading him back as she looked to Hisashi. "You as well. This is no way to go about introducing oneself."

"Agreed," Hyousuke said, looking to Hisashi with a pleading look.

"You're sayin' it like I care who he is." InuYasha tossed his hair, looking away with a grumbling pout, and Kikyou marveled at the sass that he could display when truly unsure of how to handle something.

"Why did you come for me?" Kikyou asked the two men, and Hisashi diverted his attention to her.

"Seiichi is adamant you return." The urgency in Hisashi's voice wasn't mistaken, and he looked to Hyousuke with a worried glance. "You must come with us."

"And why is it such a worrisome subject?" Kikyou looked between the men, frowning with concern.

Hyousuke looked to the ground, and Hisashi pet his hair. "It is not my reason to give," he said softly. Hyousuke's hand subconsciously went to his side, and he shook his head.

"He's gettin' kicked around," InuYasha scoffed. "I know that look anywhere. Sounds like Daddy's tossin' the kid into the furniture. Explains the smell, too. He's covered in fear."

"Is this true?" Kikyou spoke, stepping forward, and Hyousuke nodded. The miko's face fell into an expression of absolute pity, and she looked to Hisashi, pleading and worried. "I cannot express my sorrow. Forgive me, I had no idea such a thing would occur. Why...?"

"Father does not approve of my... picky courting habits. It muddles with his political agenda." Hyousuke sulked, and at the sight, Hisashi grit his teeth, crossing his arms.

"He wants you to marry Hyousuke, but from what I've gathered at the estate, seems like you would know that already."

InuYasha's ear pinned back, and he looked to the others. "Well, I think we're all aware that ain't gonna happen." Kikyou noted the way he stepped closer to her, closing in on her shoulder protectively. "So, guess you gotta find a better plan."

"No one asked you," Hisashi huffed.

"You didn't have to, prick! She doesn't want to, look at her!" Teeth bared, InuYasha growled.

"That is _enough_ between you two!" Kikyou huffed, and both of the men froze at the angry glare she gave them. "Clearly a marriage is not an option, but I am incapable of finding a better plan if I have you two spitting slurs at each other like children." Hisashi and InuYasha exchanged a baffled look, before quickly hushing up.

"Why isn't marriage an option?" Hyousuke asked softly, and Kikyou quirked a brow. "Not for love, but for status. I know it may be silly, but I-" As Kikyou's gaze fell to the ground and she shook her head, Hyousuke found himself trailing off with his words.

"I have been promised to another," Kikyou spoke softly. "I simply cannot." InuYasha gave her a puzzled look, ears perking forward, and almost went to ask as she spoke again. "However, perhaps the two of you come with me when I set off with InuYasha?"

Hyousuke and Hisashi looked at each other, then to Kikyou. "Go where, exactly?"

"I... must find something. I'm afraid I have not been honest with you, Hyousuke-sama. I am aware of where I came from and why I am here, but I needed access to your father's estate and wares."

Hyousuke thought it over, the idea of escaping his father a thrilling one. It wasn't as if his father would say no, in any case. "What would we be finding?"

"The Shikon no Tama," Kikyou spoke. "It will be dangerous once we have acquired it, and then the matter of getting rid of it comes to mind... but none the less, I must find it at all cost."

"Is that the artifact in the story you told us? The one that knows your hearts truest desire?" Hyousuke asked, frowning. "You said it... it ruined your life."

Kikyou nodded, looking to InuYasha, who had remained oddly silent, listening intently. "It did."

"How about you start with telling us the truth while we head back," Hisashi interjected, "And we'll decide from there. We could frame it as if its for Hyousuke's intentions in courting you, if we agree."

"Agreed." Looking to InuYasha, Kikyou sighed, giving a worried smile. "Are you ready?"

"Does it matter?" he grumbled, and he brought over Kikyou's mare, helping her up on to the horse. Then, he climbed up himself, adjusting awkwardly in front of her, and when she wrapped her arms around his waist, he felt a shiver shake his spine. Lifting the reins, he looked at the straps of leather with a puzzled expression, and Kikyou smiled.

"Click your tongue twice, and she'll set off at a walk," she cooed behind him. She watched as Hyousuke and Hisashi readied themselves as well, watching her and InuYasha, exchanging whispers over shoulders.

"It's him," Hyousuke hummed into his lover's ear, and Hisashi nodded.

"I don't think he has any idea of how bad she has it for him," Hisashi laughed.

"Oh, he does," Hyousuke sniggered. "He just has no idea what to do with it."

"That makes it even better. No wonder she had such a fire under her rear over us saying-"

"You two wanna shut up?" InuYasha bit, voice even, pointing at his ears. "These ain't just for show."

"S-sorry!" Hyousuke muttered, and Hisashi tutted for his horse, ready to avoid the embarrassing conversation. InuYasha did the same, Kikyou grinning behind him as the horse started forward, making him bristle with concern. He tensed up and gripped at the reins, clearly having never ridden, and his puppy ears flattened out, face twisting with worry.

"I- Is this right?" he asked, looking to Kikyou, "Or is this thing gonna run off?"

"You're doing fine," she hummed, and Hisashi was blue in the face from doing his best not to laugh.

"So, tell us your story, Kikyou." Hyousuke asked, and Kikyou sighed at the mention of it.

"Well, you see, I am from a different time... and I was brought here by the jewel."

They all listened intently as they traveled back at an even pace, but no one missed InuYasha's sudden glow of pride as he caught on to how to properly lead the horse, the childish grin that overcame his features and the twitch in his ears as sweet as the cherries in summer.

~O~

"Are you two even gonna be useful?" InuYasha griped as he climbed off the horse, standing just behind the tree line, out of view to anyone within the village. "I mean, doesn't seem like either of you is particularly _skilled_."

"I actually have a good bit of experience with a sword, and especially a bow." Hisashi mentioned, though his tone was awkward and forced.

"He's a ronin," Hyousuke piped up, and Hisashi sighed heavily with disdain. "But that's supposed to be a secret."

"Which you are miserable at keeping, apparently." Hisashi got down, lifting his arms to help Hyousuke off the horse, careful with his side, which, as InuYasha had _kindly_ mentioned earlier was likely a cracked rib, what with the fact that the swelling was only getting worse and InuYasha could smell the pain on him. Kikyou had promised to give him herbs and a proper chest wrap when able, but in the mean time, they could only go slow, and be gentle.

"A ronin, huh? How'd that happen?" InuYasha asked.

"My master turned a blind eye to heinous actions. Some of the men I fought with were worse than the bandits that pillage the roads and smaller villages. I couldn't do it anymore, and left." The grimace in his face said enough, and InuYasha decided not to press further.

"That explains how the horses are so well trained," Kikyou mentioned. "This mare seemed to know my actions before I did."

"She's a good girl," Hisashi grinned, patting the mare's neck.

"So what about you?" InuYasha asked. "With all the civil war, can't imagine you runnin' around without somethin' is gonna be good for your health, you bein' a noble." Hyousuke blinked, opening his mouth to deflect the question, but found himself interrupted.

"Don't let him fool you," Hisashi spoke, and Hyousuke laughed nervously. "He's been trained to use a *yari. Never took to any of the other weapons well, but his dad demanded he learn to use something, and Hyousuke took up the yari like a champ."

"I am not the strongest, but I am dextrous," Hyousuke hummed, giving a modest shrug.

"It would seem we are all well prepared, then, should the time come. I suggest we grab what we need after informing your father." Kikyou smiled to the others, and InuYasha sighed, slipping his arms in his sleeves. "Are you staying here?" Kikyou asked, and InuYasha growled before hopping into a tree, reclining lazily.

"I'll be here, but hurry up, I ain't gonna sit around forever." he huffed.

"We will reutrn soon," Kikyou reassured, and he looked away with an angry pout, thick brows furrowing. "I promise," she added.

"Whatever," he spat.

The three remaining made their way back into the town, horses in tow, and Hyousuke couldn't help it anymore. Looking to Kikyou, he blurted his question, sure they were out of ear shot of InuYasha. "So how did you meet InuYasha? How did you _fall in love with him?"_

Kikyou nearly tripped at the question, looking to the other two. She balked at the idea of answering, but when Hyousuke pressed closer, a mischievous smirk upon his face, she sighed. "He came after the jewel when I was the guardian of it."

"What? So he had some need for power?" Hisashi asked.

"Indeed. He wished to become a full demon." she spoke, and Hyousuke blinked.

"He's... he's a half demon?" Hyousuke asked, looking to Hisashi.

"Now _that_ explains a lot," Hisashi declared.

"And what, pray tell, do you mean by such a statement?" Kikyou bit.

"He's not evil, just an asshole," Hisashi mentioned, and Kikyou gave him a spiteful, puzzled look. "It's a good thing."

"You... you do not... judge him?" Kikyou asked, baffled.

Hyousuke laughed, and Hisashi buried his face in his palm. "If we had any room to judge, we'd be dead, Kikyou-sama." Hisashi smiled to her, shaking his head, disbelieving. "Look at us. Sure, men being together is fine, but Seiichi has threatened to kill Hyousuke if he doesn't find a wife soon, and I'm a ronin; if my old master ever finds me, you'd best bet he'll kill me for knowing his secrets and not doing the things he asked. We know what it means to be hated for things we have no control over, and your friend clearly isn't bad, he's just angry at the world."

Kikyou looked to the two of them, then cast her eyes down to the ground, shocked. "I'm so sorry you have to suffer through such things, and that I have caused you pain." she nearly whispered.

"Don't take it so horribly, Kikyou-sama. It looks like you may save us, yet." Hyousuke chimed.

Looking up to him, her eyes shined with a lingering sadness, the guilt of her own freedom seeping in. "Do you truly believe that?"

"Seems that jewel of yours has plans for us all," Hisashi spoke, nodding to the creeping sight of the estate's gate. "You've been thrown in a pit of misfits, miko-sama."

"You're right," she realized, looking between them.

"This will be an interesting adventure." Hyousuke smiled.

~O~

InuYasha sat within the branches of the tree, arms crossed and knees bent, looking down to the village with a sick impatience. It was still settling in, this idea that he was going to set out with this woman- this woman who clearly held such affection for him- and that she _wanted him there._ Her smile was as soft and inviting as a mother's love, and it made something inside him stir uncomfortably, because he remembered what that smile meant from his own mother's endearing gaze. That love was unconditional and unwavering, and he'd been sure he'd never see another person look at him like that.

Yet here she had come, with open arms and teary eyes, crashing into his world by some strange twist of fate- and, according to her, that's exactly what this was. Star crossed lovers, she'd mentioned at one point, unhinged at the hands of time and reason, they'd found each other, whether it be in life, death, past, present, or future. Or, more than anything, her soul had found _him._

If she was telling the truth, and he'd had yet to smell a lie on her, that meant that they were meant to be together with such truth that the kami themselves were breaking every law they had ever set into motion to get her by his side.

A clawed finger going to scratch his nose, he watched as birds scattered from the trees, and sighed inwardly. Kikyou was pretty, he had to admit, and cunning as they came, but it just seemed strange. If they were meant to be, why was it such a struggle? Why had it taken life, death, life, and then a complete spiraling out of time to just get here again? Was it this jewel that she was after? This thing kept tossing her around and using her as a portal almost, and she always chose him, if that was the truth, but every time they almost found peace, almost won, it would...

His ears pricked forward. She always chose him. Always found him, regardless of circumstance. Was that it? Was he her weakness? Was he why that jewel could take such an advantage of her? Did... did she love him that much?

Looking down to his hand, his brows furrowed as he looked to his pinky, and the irony of what he saw made him chuckle- a red thread from the fire rat laying over his pinky, loose and dangling, and when he plucked it away, it caught up in the wind, until it landed neatly where she'd stood when she promised him she would return.

He hoped he was wrong, or that at least, this mission would last a while. As much as he hated to think about it, he wasn't eager to see her go, and he already hated the idea of her being taken from him. She was so protective of him, and it was startling, really. She'd even demanded he be called by name, and admittedly, that was... new.

He just liked her, he realized, and it made him squirm inside. Her smile, her smell, her voice, she made him _dizzy_. It was stupid, really, and as he nudged himself into a more comfortable position, he sulked.

All of this was gonna be a real pain the ass to deal with.

~O~

Kikyou and Hyousuke made their way to Seiichi's office, arm in arm, as Kikyou did not want Hyousuke to feel alone in all of this. Hisashi had made his way to the stables, preparing the horses for a much longer ride. As she opened the door, unannounced, Seiichi sat up in his desk, the intrusion entirely unexpected.

"Kikyou-sama," he gasped, looking to his son, who's hand was within the miko's porcelain palm. "It is good to see you safe."

"I am most certain," Kikyou breathed, and the glare she gave the kokujin shot ice through his veins. "Although it would seem the same cannot be said for your son."

"I can't imagine what you mean," Seiichi stuttered, frowning with an almost frog-like expression, panicked at the sight of her predatory gaze.

Releasing Hyousuke, who was now just as shocked as his father, the miko stepped to Seiichi's desk with a ghostly grace. "I would like to make myself perfectly clear, my dear Kokujin," her words dripped with a cool, threatening tone, and her fingertips slid over the map and papers that sat upon his desk. "I do not tolerate evil within my presence."

"Eh- Oh, of course," Seiichi watched as her hands danced over his belongings, and he swallowed, "But- what do you consider evil, Kikyou-sama? Your demeanor seems-"

"Silence," she hissed, and leaned in to meet his gaze. "Do you know what makes up evil, my kokujin? Do you know how it is my powers work?" He opened his mouth to reply, leaning away from her unreadable, deadly stare, but as he did so, the documents upon his desk sparked and shook beneath her touch, shivering like leaves in the wind. "It is thoughts that make evil," she spoke, and she leaned in further, until her pouted mouth was close enough to his ear that he could feel the heat roll off of her skin. "And I eliminate those despicable, deplorable thoughts that people and youkai tend to leave all over everything," her tone was a blank whisper, and Seiichi shrunk in his chair, "By destroying the source. Do you know what the source is?" she asked, and Seiichi felt the sweat roll down his brow as her free hand came up to the side of his head, a feathery touch finding his temple. "That's right. Its a rather important bit of a person, I should say."

"Kikyou-sama, I don't understand-" he said, looking to Hyousuke, who was frozen himself.

"If you ever touch your son again, I will have to vanquish evil that I believe you will find rather close to home, my Lord. Understood?" Snapping her delicate fingers next to his ear, Seiichi jumped and trembled in fear, as if she'd struck the killing blow, the sound rattling his bones.

"U-understood, Kikyou-sama!" he shook, and at that, Kikyou stood, retrieving Hyousuke's hand, leading him back into the hall.

"Your son will be attending me for a while, as he has promised to take me traveling. I would think you will provide us what we need to have a wonderful time, would you not, my gracious Fujiwara-sama?" Looking over her shoulder, she smirked, and Seiichi watched her with an expression of awe, before simply nodding. "Good," she cooed, before snapping the door shut, Hyousuke following her blindly.

Seiichi nearly fell from his seat when, as he watched the shadows of them leave through the paper screen, his desk came alight with holy power that sparked and scattered, scaring him out of his wits.

~O~

Hyousuke's heart was beating like the wings of a frantic bird, and he looked to Kikyou, mortified. "What have you done?" he whispered, looking about anxiously.

"Don't fret," she hummed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Your father respects power. If nothing else, I've only made him desire me more. He may be sore with me for a moment, but he will not lay hand on you again with me in your company, and I have only made myself that much more interesting, giving you all the time you wish to travel at my side, away from him."

Hyousuke looked at her as if she was not from this world, and then suddenly, with little warning even from himself, felt the tears well up in his eyes and his composure fall apart. Stopping in the hall, he stepped over into a corner, pulling her with him and into his arms, cradling her against his chest as he sobbed. No one, not even his mother, had ever cared enough to stop the beatings... nor had they tried. The servants only looked on with pity, and with Hisashi, he had simply stopped telling him of it, because his love would only beg him to run away with him.

"Thank you," he huffed between the jumps and heaves of his lungs, and Kikyou stood frozen in his arms. With timid hands she slowly wrapped her arms around him, and he only squeezed her tighter. "Thank you, Kikyou."

"You are... most welcome, my dear." she whispered into him.

~O~

Hisashi made his way to the line of the forest before Hyousuke and Kikyou, horses in tow, carrying the needed weapons and armor for their travels. He could feel eyes watching him, and presumed it was InuYasha, just out of sight. "They should be here any minute now," he called out into the forest. "Servants said they saw them packing up for a trip. Not sure what lie they told Seiichi, but it seems to have worked."

The rustling branches gave way to the sight of the silver-haired boy, and he jumped forth to Hisashi's side, crossing his arms. "Sure is taking you guys a long time," he complained.

The horses spooked at the sudden appearance of him, and InuYasha stepped back, frowning. Hisashi hushed them quickly, and laughed at InuYasha. "Can't jump in front of a war horse, ya know?"

"Huh, guess that makes sense," he sighed. "So what's up with the noble guy?" Looking to Hisashi, he frowned, betraying his concern. "That kinda thing happen often?"

"More than I'd like to talk about," Hisashi spoke, brows furrowing. "I've asked him to just leave with me so many times, but he won't."

"He can't run from who he is. He knows that, I guess." InuYasha looked out into the village, antsy with being so near such a highly populated area.

"I guess you'd know how that feels, huh?" Hisashi replied, and he joined InuYasha in watching the town, waiting.

"Whadda you mean by that, exacty?" he growled, cutting a glare at the ronin.

"It wasn't meant to be an insult. Kikyou told us your situation. Just saying, I guess you'd understand what its like, to get the hell beat out of you for no reason other than you aren't what someone else wants. There's a reason you knew what Hyousuke is going through at a glance"

InuYasha's anger softened at that, and he sighed, looking away. "Not exactly your business," he bit.

"It's not your fault," Hisashi spoke idly, and they saw the bobbing figures of their companions in the back of the crowd.

"Of course it ain't," InuYasha snapped, looking to Hisashi, ears pinned back. "What, you think I just sit around, wondering what I coulda done right and feelin' sorry for myself?" voice dripping with sarcasm, he sneered, and Hisashi gave him a pitying look.

"Hyousuke does." He said softly, and InuYasha backed down, caught off guard. "I have to remind him he's not wrong for being himself all the time. Figured you might wanna hear it too, but I don't know much about youkai emotions, honestly."

Turning away, InuYasha found himself speechless, and though his thick brows scrunched and twitched in a frustrated expression, what he felt inside was a puddle of mixed emotions, and so he decided it better to stand in silence until he found a better question.

"Why ain't you afraid o' me?" he asked, ears pricking forward, and Hisashi chuckled.

"You mean, why am I not afraid of youkai, right?"

"Whatever," he groaned, "Just answer the question."

"I'm a ronin, InuYasha, and I told you the sort of people I used to travel with, and they were just as bad as any youkai you'd come across." Hisashi looked to the puppy-eared man then, and smirked, "Besides, while you surely look like you _could_ kill me with your claws and fangs, you won't."

"Oh yeah?" InuYasha mocked, cracking his knuckles. "How do you know?"

"I've looked into the eyes of a killer, and I've even been the killer, InuYasha. You don't have that look in yours. You're just angry."

"You sure do talk a lot," InuYasha bristled, nostrils flaring as he huffed. He knew Hisashi was right, and it just made him _more_ frustrated. "Sure half of its not comin' out of your ass?"

"My point exactly," Hisashi remarked with a smirk, and he watched the boy unravel, before turning away to clench his fist and grit his teeth, those ears of his flattening out all over again.

It didn't take much longer for the others to finally arrive, and Hisashi noted the cheerful expression on Hyousuke's face as he talked with Kikyou, who giggled and smiled with him. "Well, you two look cheerful." Hisashi noted, and Hyousuke grinned, nodding. "What happened?"

"Much, but it is likely best we set off now, before our dear kokujin goes and throws his inevitable fit." Kikyou chimed, now in her traditional miko robe, hair tied back. InuYasha had to admit, it suited her. "We'll tell you on the way."

Looking to each other with puzzled expressions, Hisashi went to ask Hyousuke in concern, but only found himself pushed and prodded onto the horse, while Kikyou took the reins this time. After packing the horse down with their supplies, she beckoned InuYasha to follow suit behind her. "No way," he barked, frowning, crossing his arms. "You ain't gettin' me on the back of that horse."

"Please?" Kikyou asked, extending a hand, and InuYasha turned away, nose in the air.

"Not happening," he grit out. When he glanced to Kikyou, he saw the disappointment dance across her face at his rejection, and she nodded, tutting at her mare to go. Something sank in his gut then, and he paced forward as Hyousuke and Hisashi followed suit on their own horse. "Wait," he called, and all three faces turned to him, making him flustered and nervous. "Just- just let me steer the damn thing if I gotta ride it, alright?"

"Alright," she smiled to him, and InuYasha approached the horse, looking to Kikyou. The lovely miko offered him her hand again, and as he took it, he felt himself simmer under her eyes before she helped hoist him up. As he settled himself into the saddle, so did her arms wrap around his waist, and he sighed, saying nothing when he felt her chin rest against his shoulder. "Just head north," she hummed.

"Yeah, yeah!" he moaned, squeezing the horse with his thighs out of sheer anxiety, and he let out a cry of sheer panic as the horse set off at a run. Kikyou gripped him with a bubbling fear, reaching forward to grab the reins, pulling them to one side to stop the horse as InuYasha let out a slew of curses she wasn't quite sure she'd ever heard before, nearly falling off the horse.

"Did you... did you apply pressure with your legs?" she asked, Hisashi and Hyousuke galloping forward to help.

"What if I did? Why'd this stupid thing run off like that?" His tone was frantic, and Kikyou had to cover her mouth with both her hands not to laugh, but Hisashi and Hyousuke had no such luck. They burst into laughter, nearly tearing up as InuYasha panted and whined, unsure of what t do with his hands anymore.

"She's a war horse, beloved. They respond to legs and weight." she chortled, her dark eyes shining with humor.

"What'd you call me?" he sneered, cheeks red from a mix of embarrassment and confusion.

She went to respond, but InuYasha shook his head, growling. "Forget it. And stop _laughin'!"_ he cursed to the other two, who had already set off, leading the way, cackling madly.

"This is gonna be a long damn trip," he lamented, but something within him quieted when Kikyou's delicate chin found his shoulder again, and she sighed wistfully.

"I won't mind the distance, if it is at your side," she cooed.

He guessed he wouldn't, either.

They traveled north for quite sometime, using the map Kikyou had borrowed from the Fujiwara estate. As she'd thought, Ami had been incredibly wrong- the taijiya village was not some mere fifteen miles to the north, but was instead about _two hundred_ miles to the north east, near Mt. Kita. She recalled having visited there once, long ago, in her own time... and to her dismay, she had been right in her thoughts that there was no way Ami could have been correct. It would take them at least two days to get there, and that was assuming they made no stops for the horses, rest, or food.

"Guess we'll have to stop at an inn tonight," Hyousuke hummed. "Good thing I brought plenty of coin... thanks to Kikyou's _delicate_ persuasion!" he laughed, smiling to the miko.

"I'm still baffled she did that," Hisashi laughed, and InuYasha smirked to her over his shoulder.

"Sounds like something I'd do," he boasted.

"No, you would have walked in and hit him square in the chin," she teased. When he rolled his eyes and sulked in denial, she gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "Though I am sure that may have scared him just as well. We simply would have had to take up arms afterwards."

"Wouldn't have needed to ask permission anymore, though." he sighed, sore with her.

Hisashi grinned, shaking his head, "Well, we know who to have at the front of battle if we're swarmed. Strategy is nice when you have an upper hand," he chuckled, looking to InuYasha, "But sometimes you need brute force if you're out of ideas."

"That sounds like a jab at me, ya prick." InuYasha groaned, and Hyousuke gave him a pitying look.

"He means you're brave," he soothed. "Sometimes even the smartest of us give up. You don't seem like the type to just walk away with your head hung low."

Ears twitching, InuYasha took the compliment, but waved it off none the less. "Just figure out where we're stayin' tonight so we can get this over with. I don't want one of these damn things falling over." Looking to his horse, he gave it a disapproving stare.

"Its a war horse," Hisashi noted. "Its not used to carrying around two people, sure, but she's sturdy. She's helped kill youkai and men alike. Give her some respect. Same with Taichi here." Patting the chestnut steed, Hisashi seemed rather proud, and InuYasha groaned. "Besides, why only the three of us? You're coming as well, right?"

With a blank, dumbfounded stare, InuYasha marveled at Hisashi. "You gotta be kidding," he griped. "You and I both knew that ain't a good idea."

"You're coming," Hyousuke ordered, and InuYasha quirked a brow. "I have ultimate authority, and let them say something. Even in the areas where my father does not own the land, I am still a person of respect, and should they turn away, they know they will be met with blades."

Inuyasha went to complain, but Hyousuke rolled his eyes, "Don't give me that. Its final. Besides, Kikyou-sama will either woo them into submission, or worst case, beat them with her bow, if need be, with how adamant she is to have your company." Kikyou blushed, and Hyousuke laughed as he watched InuYasha look to her with a curious glance. "She's frightening when she's angry."

Looking out into the forest, Kikyou's expression was unreadable, despite the rising flush of her cheeks. Pulling out the map, she leaned away from InuYasha's warmth, clearing her throat. "Perhaps we stop at this town a few miles away. I have yet to eat, and I am sure InuYasha is hungry as well. We would arrive there likely close to dinner time."

Hisashi nodded in agreement, "That sounds like a plan."

They made their way down the road with little else to say, InuYasha clearly done with their persistent teasing. While he knew they meant no harm in it, he was still flustered with how to handle their playful demeanor, and it was draining him quickly. Kikyou remained a soothing presence, none the less, and he made no remark when he felt her rest against him, the soft breaths that escaped her dozing and light, and he realized how tired she had to have been.

The miko hadn't slept until the start of morning, consistently checking to maintain his wounds and make sure he did not bleed or disturb his aching bones. She may have drifted in idle moments, but she never fully slept, and he'd woken her when he'd touched her barrier. InuYasha had simply wanted to leave her there, thankful for her protection, but wary of her none the less. When she'd given him the kimono, he hadn't known what to think, and truthfully, he still didn't. Deciding to trust her for now, he only hoped he was right that she was kind. It was strange, really, how comfortable she was with him. She not only touched him, but she seemed to seek it out.

When they finally came upon the town, the sun was only beginning to set, and to avoid waking Kikyou, Hyousuke dismounted and entered first. InuYasha found himself proud of the lithe man in that moment- when needed, he carried himself with a powerful stance, and spoke in a way that commanded attention. With a stern voice and the advantage of such height to give him a domineering feel, he quickly dismissed the villagers' concerns over InuYasha, and demanded he be welcomed into his lands and treated as an ally, because indeed, he was. With seething glances and nodding heads, they motioned for InuYasha to enter, but when they saw Kikyou sleeping soundly against him, the angry stares turned to innocent curiosity. The hushed whispers that quickly spread were more of wonder than fear, and InuYasha finally released the breath he'd held in his chest.

It was a quaint town, and unlike Kyoto, was not bustling with businesses and travelers. Instead it was more an array of scattered huts with only a few buildings that were true and sturdy. Simplistic and quiet, it was a nice change for InuYasha, as he didn't feel as if he would smother from the crowding of the streets, and also, if he needed to... he could run. It had been a long time since he'd willingly walked into a village, and it made him itch. It wasn't the villagers themselves that frightened him, but it was the silent thought that should they decide to turn against him, he would leave with his blood on his hands. It wasn't a situation he liked being put it.

When they walked to the inn, Hisashi went to take the horses, and Kikyou awoke with fluttering, heavy lashes, embarrassed she'd slept for such a long time. Sliding down from the horse, she nearly tripped, and when InuYasha caught her against his chest, she looked to him and smiled, shaking her head.

"What?" he asked, scrunching his nose.

"You caught me like that once before," she whispered, rubbing her eyes.

"I don't remember that," he said, brows knitting.

"I know." Looking to the inn, she started to make her way up the stairs, and InuYasha sighed, understanding the implication in those words. "I apologize for my clumsiness and exhaustion, I am still not accustomed to this body."

Swallowing the stress in his throat, InuYasha cast his eyes over the building, and made his way behind her. It was still so strange to imagine her... dead? Un-dead? When they walked in, the inn keeper gave him a look of bewilderment, and Hyousuke stepped out from the hall. "Here you are," he soothed, handing him the key to the latch of their room. "Room five. I'm off to bed, though." Hyousuke sighed, holding his side. "Its been a long day."

"Sleep well. I will tend your wounds again come morning." Kikyou yawned, and Hyousuke nodded, heading back down the hallway, Hisashi following him soon after. It suddenly occured to InuYasha that he and Kikyou would be sharing a room, thanks to Hyousuke, who he was sure found this all incredibly entertaining. Leading Kikyou, nearly shoulder to shoulder, he found their room, and opened the door to it with a kind of wonder.

It was simple, decorated with soft lighting and colorful mats, a large futon set upon the floor, comfortable and inviting. There was a basin in the corner, with plush towels next to it, and Kikyou went to it immediately, washing her face and beckoning him over to do as well. He frowned at the idea, but she smiled at him sweetly, and when he made his way to her side, she dipped a cloth into the cool water and brought it up to tend to what remained of his wounds from the night before. "Damnable bandits," she muttered under her breath, and his gaze wandered off as he huffed.

"Its fine," he spoke, and she noted the softness in his tone. "Not like its anything new."

"You do not deserve such things," she comforted, and wiped away the dirt around his brow, where the worst gash had been, that was now only a slight abbrassion. "I hate that such things come upon you."

Flustered and bashful, his hand came up and gripped her wrist, making her stop what she was doing, simple inches from himself. He could smell her sweet scent that surrounded him, mixed with the nutty, floral oils she'd put within her hair. Looking over her with a soft disbelief, he sighed, and she met his gaze with nothing less than adoration, and he felt himself melt at the sight of her. She was beautiful as she stood before him, closer than any other woman had ever been, and her porcelain skin reflected in the flickering flames of the lanterns. "Kikyou," he whispered, her name rolling on his tongue like a decadent sweet, and he realized it was the first time he'd said it.

"Yes?" she asked softly, and he heard the rapid beat of her heart within its cage, seeming to dart like a rabbit when he spoke her name. Licking his lips, he sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. His hand released her wrist and found her hand with his own, and he pursed his mouth, thinking.

"I don't have any idea what to think of you," he finally admitted. "I've known you for two days, and I already don't know what to do when I'm around you. I won't call it love, like you do, because I don't know you." There was something firm in his tone, and Kikyou looked away, listening intently. "But I can tell you mean it. Whatever it is, you mean it, even though I dunno why." He held her there a moment, and it felt as if they were frozen in time, and he sighed. "I guess, what I'm sayin' is, I'm... happy you feel that way, even if its weird."

She leaned into him then, and he couldn't help but mutter in surprise as she snuggled herself into the crook of his neck. "I am glad," she cooed, and he wrapped his arms around her, gentle and unsure. "I apologize for my forward actions... I simply," she paused, embarrassed, "I denied myself all of these things for so long. I do not wish to squander what time I may have at your side this time."

Looking down to her, he did as she had done with him, resting his cheek against her head, and pulled her close. "...S'alright," he finally said, rubbing her back. "It ain't hurtin' nothin'."

They stood like that a long moment, with him enjoying her soft warmth against him, and her sighing in content at the simple feel of him, and then he asked the question he could no longer avoid. "What do we do... to make sure the jewel doesn't take you this time?"

"I don't know," she whispered, and he could smell the despair on her. "I must find a way to rid the world of the jewel," she sighed. "As the jewel told me, it was nearly accomplished in my second life, but.. the jewel interfered, as always. Kagome would have been the one, had I not been there."

"What was she gonna do?" He asked, ears pinning back.

"I do not believe even she knew," Kikyou sighed. "I am only aware of what we were going to try, but now I see that even it likely would not have worked, for our desires were selfish."

"What... what were gonna do?" InuYasha asked, and he let his fingers comb through her long hair, fumbling and innocent.

"You were going to become human so we could live together." she said, tone quiet and ashamed.

"We were...? I was going to become human?" he said, pulling back from her, brows furrowed. "Please tell me I didn't come up with that stupid plan!" he bit.

"No no," she spoke softly. "It was the only way we saw at the time. It would have allowed us to build a life together."

"So you wanted to change me?" he growled, accusing and bitter.

"Of course not!" she gasped, looking to him in shock. "InuYasha, I wanted to be a normal woman with you. I wanted to lay down my bow so we could have a family. It was the only way we saw that we could be rid of the jewel, so I could stop defending it at all times, and you could stop ruthlessly defending me. We knew nothing but blood shed in our times together, and we were sick of it. It was never that I did not love you for who you are."

He watched her with a furious expression, before stepping away from her and crossing the room. "Just seems kinda convenient, is all, getting the half demon to go and change himself."

"InuYasha..." she whispered, stepping closer to him, but he nearly flinched at her presence.

"That why you always find me and bring me around?" he growled. "Because I'm just-"

"That is _enough_ ," she silenced him, standing before him with a blistering hot look in her eyes. "Do not go pointing fingers at me, I may have suggested it, but it was you who told me you wanted to live that life with me. I now see that we were foolish and desperate in our attempts, for it was for our own gain and it would have surely never rid the world of the jewel, but with everything I have within me you were the one that agreed, InuYasha, and said it was so you could build a life with me. I would have taken you exactly as you are, but there was no opportunity to do so with that jewel in my possession. I would have you exactly as you stand before me, but we must rid the world of such an evil before I can ever be your-"

He turned on her now, grabbing her by the arm and leaning in to look at her with a stare that let her know he was reading each inch of her face for a lie, face twisted in hurt and betrayal. "Be my what, stupid? Your cop out? You think you can sit here and lie to me like that? What spell are you using to hide the lie on your skin, wench? I knew I shouldn't have trusted a tricky little-" his voice was more like a chiding bark, his own thoughts spiraling with his infuriated insecurities, before he was abruptly brought to pause.

He hadn't expected it when it came, but she slapped him across the face with such a force that the crack rang in his ears. Letting her go, he stepped back, holding his cheek, and when the tears came to her eyes, the fury that stirred within them shook him to the core. "Why the hell are _you_ crying?" he huffed, ears pinned to his head, astonished.

She said nothing, staring at him with something akin to absolute disappointment, and it was then he saw the anguish pour from her. He could smell the salt of her tears, the hurt he'd caused her nearly tangible, and he couldn't help but be overcome with guilt all of sudden. She'd been telling the truth again, and he'd gone and acted like an ass.

"Kikyou-" he reached for her, but she drew away, and his heart ached at the look upon her face as she turned from his, riddled with tears and twisted with heartache.

"Don't," she hushed him, but he couldn't accept that. He stepped in closer, bringing up a hand to her shoulder.

"Kikyou, I just-" he muttered, but she heaved another heavy sigh, and he nearly whined at the sight of her.

"It is to be expected," she said softly, and finally leaned into his touch. "I am sorry I slapped you. I should not be so sore with you for having difficulty trusting another. I promise, I spoke the truth." her voice was nearly a whisper, as if begging him to believe her.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that much," he griped, and when she stepped close to him again, he used a sleeve to wipe the tears from her cheek, and though the motion was rough, the kindness within the act was enough for her. "So... we gotta find a better way to get rid of this jewel thing, right?" he asked, eager for another topic.

Her laugh startled him as she shook her head, smiling. "Always one for deflection." The sadness in her voice caught him off guard all again, and he finally resigned to waiting, arms going limp at his side.

"You're over there being a river of tears and you act like I know how to fix it," he huffed, looking away.

"You do not have to," she spoke, and finally took to herself, finding her composure. "I will be fine. I simply... I have regretted asking such a thing of you for such a long time. I was foolish, and I'm sorry."

"Just... don't do it again, or whatever. I won't say yes to something like that again, even if it means being with you or whatever," he bit.

She smiled to him then, nodding. "Agreed."

Shuffling his way to the futon, he sat down next to it, before pointing at it. "Get in the damn bed," he fussed, brows furrowing. "You're a sobbing mess when you're sleep deprived, and it ain't pretty." He looked at her, unsure, and she rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"I am positive it is only from lack of sleep," she teased, before making her way next to him and laying down. He grabbed the covers and pulled them over her. "You could lay beside me, if you wished to." she told, grabbing a pillow.

Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms, looking down at her. "I think I'll stick with the floor. I need to keep watch anyway."

"For what?" she asked softly.

Looking up to the walls that surrounded him, he frowned, and blushed when he realized... he didn't know.

"We still haven't eaten," she reminded him.

"Shit," he cursed, groaning, before standing and going to the door. "Stay here, I'll go... find something."

"Thank you," she called, and as his silver hair tossed behind him through the door, she rested her face in her palm. This was _indeed_ going to be an interesting adventure. 

* * *

**Polearms (including naginata and yari) were of much greater military use than swords, due to their significantly longer reach, lighter weight per unit length (though overall a polearm would be fairly hefty), and their great piercing ability.[7] Swords in a full battle situation were therefore relegated to emergency sidearm status from the Heian through the Muromachi periods.**


	5. Chapter 5

Hi there! Returning from hiatus, finally. Firstly, I want to thank all of you for your massive amounts of support lately, and especially, most definitely, for your patience. Please, enjoy the chapter, and as always, if you find mistakes, let me know!

* * *

Morning came with golden rays peeking through the windows, and bird song muddled within the sounds of foot steps and idle chatter of the other visitors of the inn. Pulling the covers over her head as she lazily rested on her side, she found herself hating the idea of crawling from the bed, only to feel the body of another shift against her hip. Peeking out beneath the soft linens, Kikyou looked to see InuYasha curled up in a sitting position, leaned just enough that his head lay upon her, as if he'd fallen asleep and the weight of his exhaustion had brought him down and to her.

The serene look upon his face made the butterflies within her stomach flutter and scatter, and she marveled that he had fallen asleep- much less fallen asleep against her. As gently as she could, she rolled onto her back, and his ears twitched in a fit at the disturbance. With no restraint left, her hands itched to pet the sweet, furry ears she'd come to adore, and with a tender touch, she rubbed one between the tips of her fingers. It flickered beneath her touch, and suddenly, amber eyes pried open to look upon her. "Good morning." she greeted, voice soft with sleep, and he pulled away with a jerk.

"What're you doin'?" he asked, confused, reaching up to pull at the ear she'd just pet, as if to wipe away the sensation. He rubbed his eyes and yawned as a blush rose over his cheeks, flustered and irritated. It seemed to come to him then that he'd been asleep upon her, and InuYasha looked to her with an uncertainty.

"I couldn't resist," she smiled, "They had a fit when I rolled over onto my back. I thought to soothe them." Sitting up, she stretched, pushing the covers from her legs. With little else to say, InuYasha finally stood, giving way to a heavy, tongue-curling yawn that made him toss his head to shake off the exhaustion. "Sleep well?" she asked, heading to the basin to toss water upon her face, waking her up all the more.

"I guess," he sighed, looking down and over himself. It had been quite a long time since he'd truly rested, but as he'd sat next to her most of the night, the urge to sleep had overcome him. It was foreign to him, that someone would be so helpless next to him- most screamed and carried on as if he were made of fire and brimstone, but not her. She had even offered for him to lay beside her. Here he was now, even, waking on her side, and instead of balking and sneering at his ears, she rubbed them with a touch so tender had it been a food, his teeth would have ached from the sugar.

Stepping close to him, Kikyou looked him over and smiled when she saw that his eyebrow was healed. "It is good to see you well again." she breathed, and as she turned to retrieve the bag full of her belongings upon the floor, he watched her with idle curiosity. Digging through the satchel, she pulled out a comb, and he watched as she relieved her hair from the tangled mess in a bow that it had become from a night of tossing and turning against the pillow. It was an endearing vision, how incredibly innocent she was in that moment, pulling the knots through her hair, back turned to him, sitting upon the floor.

As she fussed over her raven locks, he caught the sound of foot steps approaching their room, and his ear swiveled out towards the knock that soon came with them. "You guys awake?" called the voice of Hisashi, and Kikyou turned to look at the door. InuYasha made his way to the door, pulling it open, and Hisashi looked between the two of them, as if expecting something. "Well, good morning, then. Ready for breakfast?"

"Just a moment, I need to fix this mess my hair has become." Kikyou sighed, and InuYasha noted the way she glanced to him with a wary expression.

Hisashi grinned, turning away, calling out for Hyousuke, who came trotting down the hall. "Maybe," he said in a hushed voice, only loud enough for InuYasha's sensitive ears, and the grin that nearly cracked the noble's face made InuYasha squirm. He went to retort, but found himself caught up in another heaving yawn, and before he knew it, the two men had already escaped down the hall. Turning to Kikyou, InuYasha watched as she finally readied herself, gathering her things up and going to his side.

"Ready for breakfast?" she asked softly. InuYasha's ears flickered, and the excitement on his face was met with joy from Kikyou.

"Breakfast?" he asked, a toothy grin overtaking his usually stoic face. "What kind?"

Kikyou nodded down the hall way, beckoning him to follow. "They'll likely make you whatever you wish, my dear. Let's go."

InuYasha nearly darted down the hall, Kikyou lingering only a few steps behind. When they entered the dining room, they found it was a smaller room filled with tables close together and stuffed with traveling groups and bright lighting. They looked to find Hisashi and Hyousuke already waiting at a table, and took their seats across from them. InuYasha plopped down, looking about curiously, nose twitching towards the drifting smells of the kitchen. Hyousuke laughed, quirking a brow. "I believe this is the first time I've seen such a happy expression on your face." he spoke, and InuYasha bristled.

"What's your point?" he chided, but Hyousuke only smiled broader.

"Nothing, really, but its good to know even hanyous are like most men."

InuYasha furrowed his brows, nose scrunching irritably. "Oh yeah? How's that?"

"Your heart is in your stomach," Hisashi grinned, calling over one of the servant girls. "Take his order, would you, miss? Put it on the Fujiwara tab. He can have whatever he wants."

The girl looked to InuYasha with a quiet curiosity, noting his ears, amber eyes and snowy locks individually, before smiling and pressing on, not wishing to be rude. "What would you like?" she asked softly, her dark hair tossing over her shoulder. She was a plain looking thing, with a soft smile and patient demeanor.

"Uh... what are my options?" he asked softly, looking to Kikyou with uncertainty.

"Would you like me to pick a few things for you?" Kikyou wondered, brows knitting. It dawned on her he had likely not set at a table in ages, much less eaten at one.

"Whatever," he grumbled, looking down and away, arms crossing and shoulders drawing up.

"Tell him your beef options," Kikyou asked softly, and the waitress went off on a list, describing each item, and finally, at the mention of shabu shabu and sukiyaki, an encouraged tongue swept over fangs, and puppy ears flickered forward. Kikyou ordered him another side of hayashi rice, and then a simple charinabe for herself. InuYasha seemed to fidget with anticipation, and Hisashi looked to him curiously.

"I take it its been a while since you've had a well cooked meal?" he asked.

"Nobody's cooked for me since my mother," InuYasha shrugged, as if it was nothing new.

"Oh? And where is she? Is her cooking good?" Hyousuke asked cheerfully, leaning over the table and propping up on his elbows.

"It was good." InuYasha's reply was flat and quick, as if he had no desire to press the topic. Hyousuke frowned, looking to Kikyou, who shook her head. Hyousuke seemed to droop, understanding the implication, piteous and sad.

They took to chatting over tea as they waited for their food to arrive, discussing their plans for traveling. They thought it wise to stock up on food, water, flint, and tender, so they may travel a bit faster. They chattered on for a while longer, talking of nothing important, until finally the plates came gliding out of the door in the hands of the servants. It looked like quite the feast, with InuYasha's towering three plates, Hisashi's two, and Hyousuke and Kikyou's one, accompanied with towering bowls of rice.

InuYasha nearly tore in to his food, with the remaining three exchanging humored, if not embarrassed glances. When it came time for him to eat his shabu shabu, he looked between the plate and the hot, boiling water that came with it with a quiet curiosity. Plucking up one of the thin slices, he quirked a brow, looking to Kikyou. "So, what, I just eat it like this?"

"Not quite," she laughed, before taking up a piece of the raw, thinly sliced beef with her chop sticks, dipping it into the searing broth, cooking the meat a moment. She then dipped it into its sauce, and held it up to him for him to bite. "Like this." she smiled.

InuYasha eagerly bit the meat from her chopsticks, chewing it and swallowing with a suppressed urgency. As Kikyou grinned and giggled, InuYasha peeked over to her before trying it himself, letting her show him again, and for a moment, Hyousuke swooned at the sight of them. Hisashi looked up from his plate and to the others, before patting Hyousuke's knee to silence him. "Stop ogling or he'll notice your romanticizing." he joked.

InuYasha was jerked from his meal at the mention of this, mid-chew from yet another bite fed to him by Kikyou, looking to Hisashi with a sour expression, and the slurs he threw his direction made most heads in the dining room turn. Kikyou quickly shushed him, and when he opened his his mouth to release a defensive retort, she popped another bite between his fangs. The muffled giggles across the dining floor greeted the sight, and all was quiet again as InuYasha sulked and pouted as he was forced to swallow his pride.

Soon after breakfast, they set out, making sure to be ready and stocked with supplies. Rice, jerkies, canteens, flint and tender, and what was likely a few too many arrows for Hisashi and Kikyou. Hyousuke persuaded Kikyou into buying more oils for her hair, much to the miko's protests, worried that demons may find her more easily then- to which Hyousuke reminded that even if they did, they were all more than equipped to handle the situation so that she could spoil herself a little.

"I don't know," she hummed, looking over the pretty bottles. They were filled with sweet, floral fragrances- honey suckle, lavender, camellia, almond, and sesame. Some good for bathing and skin, some good for smell, some good for everything. InuYasha sniffed around them, ears twitching, before looking to her curiously.

"It'd be easier for _me_ to find you if you wore this. Ya know, picked a smell, like what you've already got."

"You noticed?" Kikyou blinked. Of course he had, she thought, but to hear it spoken aloud was something she hadn't expected.

"Yeah. Smells like... flowers, and sweet nuts." With a sweep of his nose, he found the lavender and almond again, picking them up. "These."

"Do you like them?" she asked softly, and InuYasha was taken aback.

"Whattaya mean, do I like them? You gonna change 'em up again?" He gave her a searching look, nose scrunched, and quirked a brow.

"I wear it for you." She stated, plain and matter of fact, but the soft pink that spread across her cheeks betrayed her.

"So you- what?" Inuyasha balked, ears fluttering. "Say what now?"

Kikyou only smiled, looking back to the bottles, a soft smile breaking her stony expression. InuYasha could do little more than twist away, scratching his nose, unsure how to react.

"That settles it," Hyousuke grinned, looking to the woman who stood in the small stand, homely and quaint, much like the rest of the peaceful town. "Give us one of each, as I'm sure she won't make a decision." Before Kikyou could protest, Hisashi had rolled his eyes, and round, colorful bottles were added to their essentials for Kikyou to use at her will. Hyousuke grinned with a triumphant glee, and InuYasha sauntered off, arms crossed and eyes rolling, irritated that they were wasting time, and itching to leave. Kikyou followed after him, and soon came Hyousuke and Hisashi, horses in tow.

They were out on the road by late morning, sun shining through the lush greens on the trees as they made their way down the road. They had decided it best to walk on foot for a while, so as not to tire the horses should they need their speed. They made their way for a few hours, filling the time with idle chatter and games, Kikyou glancing to the map now and again. As the day went on they passed through trading posts, through forests and fields, and the hours went by pleasantly, for the most part. Aside from Hyousuke's aching feet, that was, as he was decidedly not used to traveling such long distances. By mid evening, Hisashi had demanded he get on the horse, unless he wanted Hisashi to knock him out and _put_ him on the horse. With a grumble and a laugh, Hyousuke had finally agreed.

As Kikyou brought out the jerkies and rice patties, passing them around for everyone to eat, InuYasha's twitching ears and darting eyes betrayed his apprehension. When Hyousuke noticed that even Kikyou's shoulders grew tense as she stared out into the forest, he frowned, looking to both of them. "Should we be... worried?" he asked softly, looking to InuYasha, who's lip curled in a sneer.

"I smell death," he spoke. "And we're being watched. They aren't coming to attack us... yet."

Hyousuke and Hisashi looked to each other as they ate, and Hisashi plucked his bow from his horse, as well as his arrows.

"I am not certain they will." Kikyou sighed, looking to InuYasha. "I don't sense hostility. Just... greed. Hunger. If they strike, it will be for thieving, and while we are vulnerable."

At that moment, a group of men could be seen at the top of the hill, in the direction they were headed. Something was terribly off about them, with stony, blank expressions, and movement that was much too stiff. InuYasha switched his footing and cracked his claws, growling. Kikyou nocked back an arrow, and the aura that rolled off of them was bizzare and chilling. The men made no effort to move, however, and instead, simply stared, with hanging mouths and hungry stares.

Refusing to leave it to chance, Kikyou fired her arrow, and as the bow spun in her hand, she watched as they dropped down and away, and to her horror they burrowed into the ground. InuYasha's hackles rose and he snatched her up into his arms, leaping up into a tree. They glanced around, Kikyou climbing onto his back, nocking another arrow over his shoulder. They waited, Hisashi readying an arrow as well as Hyousuke took up his yari, but after a long moment of staring and wondering, they realized that the attack they expected wasn't coming. Kikyou could see their aura deep in the ground, still and unmoving, and InuYasha noted he could no longer smell them at the depth they had dug to. Finally, they accepted they weren't coming back, and Kikyou looked to the others as she placed her arrow back within its quiver. "I suggest we make haste," she spoke softly. "I think those were... *jikininki, and if I am correct, this does not bode well. Come night, we will be swarmed."

"InuYasha, can you run with Kikyou?" Hisashi asked, face twisted with worry as he pulled his steed next to Hyousuke's.

"Yeah." InuYasha nodded, readjusting her on his back with a gentle hop, so she could comfortably sit on his hips.

"Then let us make haste." Hyousuke sighed, and he kicked off his horse. Looking to the sky, they noted that they only had a few hours to find shelter. The sun was getting ready to set, but with hopeful spirits, they could see the top of the mountain where the taijiya village sat, smoke billowing from the center. If they ran their hardest, they could make it to the village shortly after dark. They all made point to keep their weapons ready.

It wasn't long before they started to feel the shake of the earth beneath their feet, right as the sun made its last goodbyes.

"We have travelers, Nariko." The guard hopped down from the towering defensive wall surrounding the village, met with the frantic glances of the other demon slayers, with one lone woman standing amongst them.

Nariko stood before her peers, tall and undeniably fierce. Her physique was nothing less than muscular, body pushing and pulling with every step. The taijiya's rippling curves were held tight in her leather get up, but it was to be noted that her armor was heavier than most. A chest plate carved from demon bones guarded her broad chest, and her shoulder pads were notably spiked outward and chipped, the wear and tear on them showing she had no fear of close-quarters combat. Her face was not delicate as most would desire of a woman, but instead, was sharp-jawed and stony-eyed, and marked with a scar that ran from cheek to cheek. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, yet her gaze held the look of someone who had seen enough for a life time. Her long, auburn hair would have hung well past her rear had she not kept it up and away in a bun, ready to strike in a notice. On each hip hung a meteor chain, large enough only to not be cumbersome, barely swaying with her step. Their weight was evident, and the spikes that protruded from the menacing balls only amplified the threat they presented.

"Then I suppose we have someone to welcome," she spoke with the voice of a commander, hoarse and attentive, and made her way to the gate. "Ready your weapons, I don't know how certain we can be that they're not the monsters plaguing us."

The haggard warriors of her village nodded, most riddled with dirt and lungs begging for a moment of pause, limbs trembling with the dire need for rest in the midst of the battle-trodden town. Nariko climbed her wall and watched the flinging movements of battle, and when she saw a sacred arrow fired, she became ever more intrigued.

"Please!" Kikyou shouted over the wall, firing another arrow behind her group, and the corpses- oh, kami, the wretched, rotting corpses that swarmed like bees to honey- crumbled beneath her spirit. She had been right in her assumption. Not long after sun down, they'd been ambushed by hundreds of these monsters, bursting from the ground and attacking with a crazed hunger. They'd been fighting for a couple of hours, and running- oh, how her body _ached_ and her lungs _burned_ \- because they had _not stopped running_. InuYasha clawed, snatched, slashed and kicked at all he could, but they were closing in quickly all again, and Hisashi had long run out of arrows, now resorting to his katanas. Hyousuke flipped and tossed with his yari, doing his best to cover InuYasha's back, but the wood was cracking from the sheer force he had to use to take down his foes. "Please, open your wall, or allow us to hop over! We mean you no harm! Please!"

A woman who looked more statue than human towered over them at the peak of the wall, swinging a meteor chain at her side, and when Kikyou was nearly overcome, it was that same heaving steel that struck down her assailants. "Why do you have a demon in your presence?" the warrior shouted, and Kikyou could do little but roll her eyes, anger brimming.

"He is my comrade! He is not evil!" Another arrow fired, she was running out, and more were coming- "His name is InuYasha, and he is well and good!"

"Says you!" he spat, kicking in the teeth of one and ripping eye from socket on another.

"Please!" Hyousuke's voice was shrill, and he looked to Nariko, pleading, as the wood of his yari splintered. "I am the Fujiwara kokujin's son! We need help!"

Nariko swung her chain again, taking out three, four, five, they tumbled and tossed and moaned beneath her weapon, clearing the way for InuYasha. "Bring me the priestess, first!" She hollered.

"The others cannot defend themselves! Please, take them, first!" Kikyou struck one down with her bow, power burning through the shrieking corpse.

Nariko sighed, and then waved her hand. "Very well! But only to the wall! Make haste!"

Kikyou looked to InuYasha, brow dripping with sweat, pleading. More monsters poured from the tree lines, there was little time left. "Get them, please!"

"But what about you?" he croaked between thrashing elbows and fists.

"Now!" she bit, and clasping her hands together, she prayed, and a barrier erupted around her, crackling and fizzling against the touch of the rotting monsters.

InuYasha needed no other instruction, and he grabbed the two men under his arms, climbing the wall of the village. He sat them before Nariko, before thrusting himself back and down to the brawl, to Kikyou, who he scooped into his arms and snatched from the corpse-riddled road. With a hard kick off the ground, he was back on top of the wall, Kikyou cradled against his chest, and it was clear, in that moment, he had no desire to put her in the hands of this... woman. Something about her made his instincts scream.

"Speak your intention," Nariko glanced between the four of them as the cadavers clawed at the wall, and Kikyou looked to her, exhausted.

"We're here to help," she panted out. "Do you have more arrows?' she pleaded, before looking back down over the wall and firing off another shot- yet the usually vibrant glow of her powers were waning, their blinding purity now fizzling out to warm pinks that merely knocked away the onslaught. InuYasha stood behind her as she did her best, and as Nariko watched her work, she stole glances at the hanyou.

"He can't come in." the taijiya explained, but Hisashi and Hyousuke rounded on her in an instant.

"He's the only reason we're _alive,_ woman. I know you're a city full of demon slayers, but he's here helping a miko. Isn't that enough?" Hisashi, nearly falling apart at this point from sheer exhaustion, had finally lost his temper with the entire ordeal. His muscles ached and shook as he glowered at her, a twitch working in his dirt stained cheek. When Nariko did little more than scrunch her nose at him, he threw up his hands in the air, invading her personal space much too quickly. "Then I guess we're all dying out here, because we're not leaving him, and you can fight these damn things by yourself! We've got a miko and a demon," with this Hisashi looked down into her town, noting that all the villagers looked ready to fall asleep on their feet, "What have you got? Because those people down there look like they're about ready to kick the bucket."

InuYasha looked between the two as Nariko seemed to eye him like a fly one finds in their dinner, before turning to Kikyou, who went to nock another arrow. Tired of watching her ruin herself, InuYasha grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms again. Kikyou looked to him in shock, mouth opening to protest, but it was to no avail- he'd already leapt into the town and onto a roof, away from the wall. When he looked down, the few slayers that seemed better off threw up their grappling hooks, climbing towards him like spiders to prey. "Its no use, ya idiots!" he yelled down to them. "I can out run you, and you're falling over tired! We ain't gonna hurt you, so just get down!"

Kikyou looked to him, confused, before sighing. Perhaps, this time, his method of persuasion- or lack there of- was indeed needed. "He's right! Please, we just need shelter. Let us talk."

The slayers looked amongst themselves, but the beaten spirit in their eyes was enough within itself to know the answer. They had no desire to chase them, and so, despite better judgement they agreed. "Come down," one called, and as Kikyou looked out to the wall, she saw that Nariko was leading Hyousuke and Hisashi to the center of the town as well, to safety.

"Are they always like this?" Nariko asked Hyousuke, who'd thrown Hisashi's arm over his own shoulder, patting his lover on the back as he groaned irritably.

"Yes. It would seem Kikyou-sama and I like our men as we like our tea- bitter, and quick to boil." Hisashi cut Hyousuke a glare at that, but soon continued to meander on, too tired to argue.

"It is good to see faces that are truly as they say," Nariko sighed.

"Is that not normal?" Hisashi asked.

"Not at all. The jikininki take all manner of form, and they've been attacking us for nearly a week now. The past three days, especially." Sighing, Nariko swept her bangs from her face as they rejoined the others in the middle of the town. Hisashi and Hyousuke exchanged a knowing glance at the mention of three days, knowing whatever was happening, it likely had something to do with Kikyou.

The town was not lavish in its making, but even in the darkened hues of night, it was clear it was a town built for strength. The buildings were sturdy and riddled with wards and reinforcements made of demon bones and other tools, the streets of it thoroughly packed from the constant patter of feet going place to place. In the middle, where they stood now, was an area made for celebration. The remnants of a fire pit sat, coals glowing in the dim lighting, though it was clear now that this was no celebration, but rather a place for guards to switch station against the dead that clawed at their walls.

From where they stood they could see back just far enough to see their vast shrine. Within it, Kikyou sensed what they had come for- the Shikon no Tama. Its aura was muddled and strange, she assumed because it was under countless wards. The miko could see its light, the light only she and Kagome had ever been able to truly witness- shining from the cracks of the boarded windows within, and as much as it should have comforted her to see the thing, she felt the pit of her stomach fall nearly through her- like a stone that crashes into the once calm, still waters of a pond. It sent ripples and waves through her, and InuYasha noticed right away how incredibly disturbed she suddenly was. Sitting her down gently, he kept a hand on her shoulder, golden eyes staring through her.

"What's wrong with you?" he hissed, looking over her like an unknown bug was nipping at her skin. Kikyou's earthy eyes found his, though, and the gaze she gave him told him to let it go. He was, unfortunately, not one for hints, though, and pressed on. "What? You look like you saw a ghost!"

"Stop, please, InuYasha, I'm fine." she huffed, moving away from him, but he only inched closer. Too close. His nose was nearly on her cheek.

"You're lyin'." he pouted. "Somethings makin' you twitch and you're not tellin' me."

With a glare that cut through him like a hot knife, she pressed a palm against his chest, moving him away from her. "I appreciate your concern, but if you do not give me an inch of space this instant, _I will push back_. We may speak of it later." The heat in her voice was enough to shock him back, and he sneered, tossing his long hair and looking away. His pitiful frustration was nearly thick to the touch in the air.

"Stupid wench," he spat under his breath, but the insult was hollow and hurt, and Kikyou sighed as the guilt twinged in her chest. She looked to Nariko.

"Have you any shelter?" She wondered, her exhaustion just as weighted as the sulking anger that rolled off her hanyou in droves.

"We do, sure," Nariko agreed. "We don't have much, but seeing as you're clearly not a threat," she looked between Hisashi and InuYasha, who were both haphazardly kicking at the dirt in a childish display of a fit, "We'll assume you could be of some help. Come with me," she beckoned. "I have to get back to my post, soon."

"Thank you," Kikyou breathed, and she took InuYasha's arm. He glared at her, nostrils flared and feet planted on the ground, determined to pout. "Come, InuYasha." she asked softly, but he was having none of it.

"Thought you wanted me to back off," he growled out, yanking his arms from her feminine palms.

"As you wish," she sighed. "You're right, I did ask of you to step away. Walk with me, then?"

"Nope. Stayin' right here, seein' as all I do is get in your way." He crossed his arms then, tucking them away up in his sleeves. He looked as proud as a five year old atop their sand castle, looking down upon her as if he'd won.

"Did I hurt your feelings?" Kikyou stepped to him again, looking over her shoulder to see that Hyousuke, Hisashi and Nariko had all but abandoned them and were making way to the village head woman's house- who, apparently, Kikyou heard between the three, was Nariko. InuYasha looked to Kikyou like she'd spoken babble, and frowned.

"You numb in the head or something?" he sighed.

"Very well. Do as you please. Go sulk upon a roof as you often do, or run into the trees. I care not. However, know that should you want to return, I will be waiting for you, and you are most welcome. I'll even pretend you've won this little argument, if you prefer." Turning on her heel, she went to follow the others, and InuYasha positively fumed at the sight.

"You can't just do that!" he spat out. "Come back here, I'm not done talking to you! Hey!" Stomping his feet, he finally came following behind her- knowing that if he went and threw one of his fits, that would only mean that _she'd_ won, and he couldn't have that. With ears pinned back and a growl in his throat, he came up to her side, and when she looked to him, a brilliant laugh shining in her clever eyes, he grit his teeth. "You're a real pain the ass, ya know that?" he grumbled, though the statement was hollow- a side step to admitting she was right.

"Well, let us get some food in you, a bath, and a bed, and see how you hate me then. Perhaps you can hate me right to sleep. Will that work for you?" she smiled, her dark-honey eyes teasing him, and he mumbled under his breath.

"Whatever. Let's just go." This time, when she sought out his arm, his nose twitched and his ears flickered, but he allowed it. His gaze kept finding her face, porcelain skin glowing in the moonlight despite the grime of battle that sat upon her cheek, but it was the humor in her gaze that bewitched him. It was why he couldn't hold a grudge against her, even in these little _insulting_ moments, because something in the way she seemed eager to _play_ with him was... endearing. She, even in her moments of spit-fire temper, was never cruel, but more kept him from pressing that last button she had. While it was infuriating because he just wanted to get whatever it was over with most of the time, it was new how she simply took him as he was. Even if she was a bit of an ass when she was frightened- _or whatever the hell just happened,_ he thought.

At that thought, a clawed hand found hers, but not directly- it was through a sleeve, and because his arms were crossed. At least, that was what he wished her to believe as they finally climbed the stairs of the home's porch. It was rather obvious though, as she turned her head and smiled over her shoulder, that she didn't for an instant think it coincidence.

She let him win with her silence this time, however, and made no comment. As they entered Nariko's home, they noted the many people who laid about upon the floor, all looking as though they simply collapsed to sleep- and Kikyou wondered if that was actually the case. Nariko and the boys stood in the center, chatting up a girl about gathering some rice cakes for everyone. Kikyou and InuYasha looked between each other before the miko left his arm and went to Nariko, frowning. "Are many of your taijiya injured? Is there anything I can do?"

"Not injured, no," Nariko sighed. "What wounds they do have are superficial. They are simply exhausted. Though the jikininki tend to wane at dawn, none of them have slept well for two weeks aside from hour naps. We are either fighting and doing our best to maintain our walls structure, or questioning every new-comer and rebuilding through the day. The more powerful ones can imitate humans."

"Damnit," InuYasha huffed, shaking his head. "If ya just used your nose, you'd know the difference. Can't you smell the rot on those things?"

Nariko and Kikyou looked between each other, then to InuYasha. "You must be aware we cannot smell as well as you," Kikyou stated.

"Yeah, but even to you humans, they gotta smell weird. Don't you smell that weird musk on them?"

"No," the women answered, and InuYasha's expression fell dead pan.

"I didn't know your noses were _that_ weak." he grumbled. "Explains a few things, though."

Sighing, Kikyou looked to Nariko. "Perhaps tomorrow I'll make wards for everyone. I can sense them, but that does little good if I am not within ear shot."

"That sounds good. I would ask you begin now, but... with the looks of all of you, I would say its far past time for rest." Nariko smiled amongst them, and the others nodded.

"Will you make it through the night?" Hyousuke asked, frowning.

"Definitely." Nariko said.

Dinner was quick and tiresome, with even eating seeming a daunting task, and after the quick discussion of Kikyou helping build a barrier come morning, Nariko dismissed herself and made her way back to the wall. The four of them were shown to a bath house, and despite lingering invitations, Hyousuke and Hisashi decided on being by themselves. Not for the reasons one would think, but more for silence and regrouping with one another.

InuYasha and Kikyou looked to each other, then, as there was only one other bath house, and the hanyou's ears flattened. "Guess I just won't take one, then." His tone was irritated and flat, but Kikyou could see he was less than pleased.

"I am not opposed to you bathing with me." She spoked softly, but her voice held no shame, but more, uncertainty on his behalf. When he looked to her, blushing and awkwad, she simply remained silent, letting him decide for himself what he wished. He looked her body over, and for a moment, Kikyou knew what he was imagining- but it was not lustful, or heated. More curious and questioning, when suddenly, his ears flattened against his head.

"What will the villagers think?" He asked, voice softer than usual. The question was gruff and ashamed as she shot a glance back into the town, and she sighed.

"Have I once been concerned with the thoughts of others?" she asked softly.

"No." He said, flat and sure, and when he looked up to see her leading him into the bath house, his feet felt heavy as stone as he followed behind her.

When they entered the bath house, Kikyou quietly slid the door closed, and Inuyasha stood in the corner, watching her. She initially went to begin removing her own hakama, but when he looked away, as if doing his best to be polite, she sighed.

"What?" he asked, gaze firmly stuck to the corner of te bath house. "I ain't gonna look. I'll just wait or somethin'."

"That's not what I meant when I asked that you join me." There was a shiver in her voice, and InuYasha's delicate ears didn't miss it, one spinning the meet her. "Come here," she asked kindly.

"Nope." He grew rigid at her request, and Kikyou frowned, finally understanding- he was ashamed.

"InuYasha," she spoke, tone pleading as she walked to him. He looked to her, cornered, letting out a gruff exhale. He inched away from her as he reached for him, and when his shoulders pulled into him, her hands fell back and away. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't think this would be so difficult for you." she whispered, looking over him, worried and clueless as to what to do.

"It ain't difficult!" he bit out, and his hand found her wrist, squeezing. "I just haven't ever done this before." he groaned, and Kikyou frowned. This was not how she remembered him being the first time they had seen each other in their naked forms. He'd been shaken and his breath stayed caught in his throat from nerves, but he was never _ashamed._ He'd even watched her bathe after telling her she smelled like demon blood, and there was never a falter in his gaze, never shame in looking upon her.

But then it dawned her- an all consuming, blundering crash of a thought.

 _It hadn't been the first time._

She was here now, in this time, and for all intensive purposes, it could be considered that... this had already happened. Its why he never attacked her- despite his excuses, despite his annoyances, despite the way he constantly said it was all for the jewel, InuYasha had every ability to have simply... taken her out. Stolen the jewel, at least, especially the night she had collapsed when he was human and waiting in that tree. He had so many chances, before he ever knew her, before he ever pitied her, yet he took none. He gave up his dream to be by her side.

 _It was because he had known her._

But this raised an even larger question. What, in the name of all the kami... was the end result? He had never told her. Yet now, in this moment, with the way he acted, with his lack of confidence and soft eyes, she knew- he had known her when she had first met him. This was nothing like him then. This was not the man that had looked at her with a loving hunger the first time she had bore herself to him, shy and unsure, and pulled her into his arms like something he had craved since the moment he'd seen her. He had touched her like he was quenching a thirst that had long left every inch of him cracked and dry. This- this was not that man.

 _He had known her._

Her breathe caught in her chest then, and she was left feeling spun and tossed within whatever reality she'd been thrown into. InuYasha looked up and to her, then, baffled at her sudden panic.

"Kikyou?" he asked, letting her go.

 _He had loved her from the start._

"Kikyou? Kikyou, what happened? Did I-?"

 _He had let her kill him._

 _Its why he looked back._

 _Its why he fell for Naraku's trap._

 _Why he "didn't smell" Naraku when he tricked InuYasha, the question she had asked herself for so long._

 _Why he had blamed himself so tirelessly for her death._

 _He'd known she would come back for him, even in death._

She blinked, and something dripped down her face. She wasn't sure if it was sweat or a tear.

"Kikyou?" he said again, voice frantic.

"You knew me," she said softly.

"What?"

"When I was alive- when we first met. You knew me."

"I don't understand!" InuYasha bit out. "What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"You... loved me."

"Kikyou, I don't know what you're talkin' about."

"When I killed you," she said softly. "You had every chance to get away from me. There was no way you were fooled by Naraku when you constantly gripe about his awful smell. And this-" she said softly, spreading his haori apart, which he quickly gripped to hold it close. "You never shied away from me before. You never felt shame around me, because you knew I-" she stopped then, voice choking, and InuYasha let out a whine.

"I love you." she whispered. "I love you, and you... you loved me, as well."

"Kikyou, I just don't-"

"I don't expect you to understand," she said quietly. "I don't expect you to love me, either. I just... it doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't you have said something to me? What's happening?"

"Well, would you want me to say somethin' now? I don't know, Kikyou. I don't even know what-"

"No," she said softly. "If you told me, it all never would have happened. You would have never found happiness. Naraku would have won." The words seemed to ring in the back of her mind, foreign and strange, yet the truth was there.

If he had told her, she wouldn't be here. Kagome never would have come to him. She never would have _died_ , but so much more would be lost for _him._ His friends, Kagome, the village, sure, Naraku caused havoc, but she presumed that part inevitable. If not her, another priestess would have met the same doom, just as the jewel assured.

 _Dying was her destiny, and if he stopped it, nothing but turmoil would follow._

"Don't tell me," she said softly. "Just... let me fall in love with you, all again."

"Kikyou," he whined, at a complete loss. He wanted to say something, anything, but then she stepped closer to him, and in an instant the space between them closed. Her lips found his, and her hands found his jaw, soft and tender with their feathery touches. InuYasha stood, frozen in stone, eyes looking down at her lashes as they fluttered shut, yet he couldn't find it within him to push her away.

It was as if his hands became their own entities as they wrapped around her, and with knitted brows he closed his eye and leaned in to her. He was unsure- so terribly unsure of what he felt, or what this was, or how to act, or what to do, but she led him all the way, and when her hands dove into his snowy locks and pulled him closer, he followed. It wasn't long before he found himself drowning in the feel of her- the feel of someone being so entirely willing to touch and hold him. Her hands roamed through his hair and across his back and her smell- oh, how her smell enveloped him like nothing he'd ever known. The scent upon her was not like any other he'd experienced, something so much richer than simple perfumes, something that sent pistons firing in the back of his mind, and when her soft mouth opened to deepen the kiss, he found himself collapsing beneath her affection.

"Kikyou," he spoke into her, and when his own hand found her hair and the small of her back, holding her tight and to him, she made a noise he had never heard before- she moaned. Eyes firing open, he looked down, but there was no pain in her eyes like he had expected, but instead, she looked at him with eyes that swam and shone like whiskey in the sun light. A feverish blush coated her porcelain cheeks and her breath held tight in her chest. He could hear her heart pounding at its cage within her chest, and something about the sight of her in that moment sent him spiraling.

Within moments his lips found her again, and this time, when her hands went pulling at his haori he didn't flinch. The steam-filled air hit his skin and in and instant, the robe of the fire rat's jacket was tossed aside, and when his fumbling hands found the knot that held all of her robes in place, she leaned into the touch. He pulled the fabric loose, and when her hakama sunk to the floor, the sound of the heavy fabric falling beneath them pulled him from his daze.

Looking over her, he finally saw her long legs beneath her, milky white and toned from hours upon hours of tireless walking. Her supple thighs curved up and into her hip, and in that moment, he found himself wishing to see more of her. As if hearing his thoughts, she pulled away her haori slowly as she watched him, and when she finally pulled open the light under-robe and let it all fall from her shoulders, he sucked in a breath at the sight of her.

She was stunning, a response he never would have imagined having. Attraction and desire was not something he felt often, if at all, and yet here, as she stood before him, it was not her form that bewitched him, regardless of her physical perfection.

It was the trust. The way she looked at him as if she wanted nothing more than for him to touch her, to hold her. The way he could plainly see _she loved him_ , no matter how ludacris the circumstance was. His chest knotted up and as he looked her over , his head felt like it would very well burst from the heat within it, and he realized it had nothing to do with nerves, or shame, or curiosity, this was an _emotion, and it was all consuming._

Was this _love_? Was this what she'd been relentlessly babbling about? _Was this how he made her feel?_

Before he could answer it for himself, she was coming to him again, and the knot to his hakama was sprung loose, and in an instant, he found himself as naked as she was. He sucked in a breath, looking to her for some kind of disgust, and yet there was none to be found. Instead, she was tender and soft all again, and when her hands found his hair once more, the motions were almost lazy in how relaxed they were. Kissing him gently, he let himself sink again into her affections, and this time, when her hands found his ears and teased them beneath soft fingertips, he didn't flinch- couldn't flinch.

The touch all but broke him, that she was touching something that had so long been a source of disgust to so many others. He let out a muffled groan against her at the sensation, falling away from her, but she only smiled. To his awkward admittance, he found he liked the feel of it, and then, to surprise him even more, Kikyou suddenly came to stand on her tip toes, and she kissed and nibbled at his the sensitive, fur lined flesh.

It was almost too much- the sound of her breath tickling his ear drums as she teased them, and the way her tounge swirled against their edges. His arms wrapped around her in that moment, and he squeezed her, burying his face in her shoulder.

"I love you," she said softly.

He scooped her up, breathless, and her mouth found his all again as he carried her to bath, stepping in to the steaming water. Her head lay upon his shoulder as she watched him, wistful and happy, and he swallowed down the lump in his throat as she grinned at him.

"I know, Kikyou."

* * *

Jikininki- Wendigo monster from Japanese mythology that are creatures of pure greed.

"In Japanese Buddhism, jikininki (Japanese: 食人鬼, "human-eating ghosts"; pronounced shokujinki in modern Japanese) are the spirits of greedy, selfish or impious individuals who are cursed after death to seek out and eat human corpses. They do this at night, scavenging for newly dead bodies and food offerings left for the dead. They sometimes also loot the corpses they eat for valuables, which they use to bribe local officials to leave them in peace. Nevertheless, jikininki lament their condition and hate their repugnant cravings for dead human flesh.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."_  
 _― Kahlil Gibran_

* * *

The rays of the morning sun cut through the windows like search lights, glaring onto InuYasha's face as if they had but one goal as the morning cracked over the horizon, and it was... _to annoy him_. He had known good and well the night would slip through his fingers, slippery and quick, much too soon for his liking, but this- it felt like the day itself was trying to offend him. Kikyou lay at his side, the two of them tangled in a mess of covers, and her raven hair spilled over the bed like a black ocean that ran off into small, twisting rivers. Tucked against him, she slept soundly, and the heat of her skin against him was not something he was willing to part with. Not yet.

They'd bathed together the night before, and after what was likely much too long of simply touching, preening, and learning one another- in a new way, he thought, that was entirely physical, yet lacking the lust he had expected, had been taught to expect- exhaustion had taken them. With pruned fingers and clean bodies- kami, how long had it been since he'd been truly clean?- they'd thrown on their robes and made their way back to Nariko's, where they were provided a small room. Very small, he'd noted. There was hardly room for a bed, even; but the room was theirs for the night... and that was good enough. The single window sat idle on the plain, empty wall above the futon, and he and Kikyou had all but collapsed upon the bed. InuYasha found himself no longer surprised when she quickly curled over him as he laid on his back, her head on his shoulder and arm tossed limply on his stomach.

They went to bed in silence, as there was little else to say, and frankly, more than enough words had already been said. For the first time in his life, he was comfortable... _touching_ someone. So now, as he lay there, wrapped around her, he found himself irritated at the idea that the sun had risen only to _piss him off._

Kikyou tossed in her sleep, letting out an exhausted yawn as the morning light passed across her, and as her eyes pried awake, she was confused when she awoke to him inches from her face.

"Mornin'." he groaned, frowning. The hanyou prayed she didn't regret whatever last night had been, with that look on her face.

"It wasn't a dream," she said softly, voice heavy with sleep.

"Nope." Ears twitching, he felt rigid, having never woken up next to someone before.

A grin poured out over her face, and a gentle hand came out to caress his cheek. "Good."

Feeling his lips twitch out into a smirk, his honey-sweet eyes nearly softened at the sight of her before he caught himself, casting his gaze towards the door. "Guess we gotta get goin'."

"You're right." she said softly, sitting up. He looked back to her, then, and broke out in a genuine, humored grin- her hair was an absolute _wreck_ from sleeping with it wet _._ Her bangs flayed out in every direction, and the tendrils that had looked so perfect only a moment ago were now tussled, stray messes that went out in odd directions. The humored snort that escaped him was impossible to catch, and when she blushed, clueless, he let out an incredibly fake cough to make a horrid attempt at masking the laughter.

"W-what?" she wondered, looking down at herself, naked as the day she was born, having not wanted to sleep in her filthy clothes. "What is it?"

"I-uh," clearly caught, there was little else he could say, and so he chose the truth. "Your hair looks like a youkai made a home in it."

Clacking her mouth shut, Kikyou grit her teeth, tugging at her frazzled locks. "I haven't the faintest idea what to- where is my comb?" she muttered, biting her lip.

"Oh, quit freakin' out, its just hair." he groaned, noting that she was actually _stressed out_ by something so ridiculous. Standing, he went and grabbed her bag, pulling out the comb and some of the oils. He took the time to smell each jar, and we he found the almond and lavender, he made his way back to her. "Alright, turn around or whatever, lemme handle it."

"You know how to treat a woman's hair?" Kikyou asked, glancing back to him.

"Thought you knew everything about me?" he teased, angled brow quirking.

"Apparently that isn't the case." she said, pursing her lips. She heard him pop open the bottles and pour the oils into his hand, rubbing it between his palms before he began running it through her hair with his fingers. She was impressed as she watched over her shoulder- he didn't apply too much. As he started to comb through her mess of a mane, curiosity got the best of her. "Where did you learn, InuYasha?"

"My mama," he said. He took his time, but he was quick and sure with his hands, she noticed. "She had hair even longer than yours."

"Was she..." the question struck Kikyou suddenly. Knowing that for someone to have hair even longer than hers and it be well maintained, she was likely of higher standing. "Was she respected?"

"Was until she had me." His tone was flat, and Kikyou sighed.

"May I ask who she was?" His clawed fingers were gentle in her hair, and Kikyou enjoyed watching him maneuver his way through the waves and tangles.

"Izayoi. She was a princess. She disgraced her clan, though, when she went with my old man. I dunno much about what happened then, but all she ever told me was my old man died defending us. A lot o' good that did..." he griped, trailing off. The comb seized her hair again, this time with a bit more oil, and she watched patiently.

"What... happened to your mother, InuYasha?" Kikyou's voice was soft, as if her very tone didn't want to intrude, and InuYasha's golden stare cut through her before he decided he may as well tell her.

"She got sick. See, we couldn't stay in one place very long. Villagers would blame me for sickness, plagues, too much rain, not enough rain, whatever you can think of, so we moved around a lot. We spent a lot of nights out in the woods, and I guess the cold got to her, eventually. You humans are frail like that. She was gettin' old, anyway." There was a hint of remorse in his voice.

"How old were you?" Whiskey eyes looked back down the raven locks he was nurturing.

"I was a kid. A young kid. I'm sure you've figured out I don't age very fast."

"Did someone at least... lay her to rest?"

"Yeah, I did."

Kikyou felt her heart all but collapse. "You did? InuYasha, you... how? Was the ground not frozen?"

"Yeah, it was. I just dug out the hole with my hands. I got claws, ya know." Kikyou looked at him as if he'd sprung from his own grave, and he looked up from his hands, bewildered and offended. "What?"

"InuYasha..." Kikyou trailed off, before looking away, eyes red with the threat of tears. "Forgive me, that's terrible. Its terrible for a child to suffer such a thing."

"Shit happens," he bit out, defensive. "Don't go on with the water works."

"Would it be possible to pay our respects to her?" Kikyou huffed out a sigh, gripping at what was left of her composure. Looking to him, InuYasha dropped the comb, propping an elbow up on one knee as he gave her an irritated stare.

"Why?" he growled. "You feel bad for me or somethin'?"

"Because she deserves it, InuYasha." the miko nearly fell apart, "Because your mother was likely stronger than most could dream, and she is owed respect. "

InuYasha's expression fell then, and he blinked, wary. "You think so?"

"I am certain." Kikyou choked back what was left of her anguish that she felt for him, and he looked down.

"Yeah. We can go. I'll... take you, I guess." His voice faltered beneath uncertainty, and he looked back to her, searching.

Kikyou nodded, breathing deep, and she collected her comb and oils, deciding her hair was good enough. "We have much to do." she spoke, soft and shaken.

"Yeah," he replied, and he stood. She extended a delicate hand, and he took it, pulling her up and to him. Kikyou met his gaze with a forlorn sadness, and she nearly stopped herself from speaking, but when he frowned at her pause, she continued.

"Thank you for telling me." With that, she kissed his knuckles as they held her hand, and she went to retrieve her kimono. Her nearly-tamed hair fell out around her, and she set out to bind it in its usual white ribbon.

He watched her a moment, acknowledging that she was doing her best to react _"appropriately,"_ but what was stranger was that he didn't understand why that was so _weird_ for her. Most kids lost their parents at an early age, right?

 _But they don't have to bury them_ , he thought.

He suddenly found himself wondering what her parents were like, but it was brought to a halt with the sound of impatient knocking on the door. "InuYasha!" came the moaning voice of Hyousuke, who groaned at the door. "Come on, you two, its time to go. How do a miko and a half demon sleep in every day?"

"Because they're busy at night," came the distant voice of Hisashi. InuYasha felt his anger bubble up and spill like water that had been on the stove for _much_ too long.

"Could you two have some damn decency?" he grit out, nearly slinging the door open, but Kikyou quickly thrust his haori into his chest.

"I think _you_ are in need of decency, InuYasha." Though her tone was chiding, the soft smile on her face was playful, and the hanyou found himself glad to see her lacking that aching, sad expression. She had dressed herself rather quickly, and while her hair still maintained some of its stranger twists and waves, she no longer looked as if she'd dunked her hair in a water wheel.

With a growl of protest, he slung on his haori and settled within his robes before slamming open the door in a brash display of his temper, giving Hisashi a look at would have killed him, if it could have. The ronin seemed unphased, though, and simply stood straight off the wall. "We gotta speed through breakfast, and InuYasha, Nariko wants to see you."

"And if I don't wanna see her?' he griped.

"Do it anyway." Hisashi sighed. "I've already eaten, so I'm gonna go get arrows. We have until night fall to try and make this easier on them."

Kikyou finally stepped out, and Hisashi nodded to her. "You too. Nariko asked for you."

With a bleary-eyed blink, Kikyou nodded. Still not quite used to physical exhaustion, it was like learning to walk again. "Alright. Where is she?"

"Down the hall. Follow the smell of breakfast, she's waiting for you." With that, Hisashi disappeared down the hall, and Hyousuke tucked himself into their little group as they made their way down the hall.

"I heard them talking about weapons last night," Hyousuke added. "They even came and asked me what all you could do, InuYasha."

"Yeah? What'd you tell them?" he asked.

"I told them you're good with your claws, and you seem to use your youki on them, or something." Hyousuke looked to him, hoping he'd been right.

"Good call." InuYasha smirked.

"Why did they not simply come and ask him?" Kikyou pondered.

"You two were in the bath for... two hours, Kikyou. Two." Hyousuke gave her a knowing look, as if disbelieving anything she might have to say about it.

She had no retort, but the flaming crimson that overcame her cheeks was enough.

As they rounded the door way, they entered Nariko's seating room, one of the largest in the estate. Her home was not lavish and decadent as the Fujiwara estate had been, but was instead built to outlast whatever may come. It was made with dark, thick, sturdy wood and the walls told of their own strength. The shelves were decorated with weapons, some basic and expected, and others bizarre, clearly made only for the hands of demon slayers, riddled with bones, wards, stones, and other such powerful baubles.

"You're awake," Nariko called, looking to them expectantly from her desk. The circles that had hung beneath her eyes the night before seemed to have only caved deeper, and she looked worse for wear. "I feared you may very well sleep through the day."

"It ain't that late," InuYasha grit. "Suns only been up about thirty minutes or so."

"Thirty minutes is quite a bit of time, given our circumstances." Nariko gave him a cutting glare, but before InuYasha could reply, Kikyou interrupted.

"What is the plan, Nariko?" she asked. "Shall we begin with the barrier, then?"

"No, first," she looked to InuYasha, as if expecting him to pounce, and then continued on, "I have something for you."

"What is it?" The hanyou took a step forward, sniffing, but kept his hands tucked away in his haori, untrusting.

They taijiya reached under her desk and pulled forth a medium sized wooden chest, which she heaved onto the desk, clearly having some difficulty with its weight- which was odd, considering this to be the same woman that swung around meteor chains like toys. The chest clapped against the desk, and the dust upon its surface sprung up into the air. With a rough palm, Nariko wiped away the dust and grime before unlocking the front, which gave a heaving _thunk._ The old wood creaked and moaned as she finally lifted the top, and when she turned it to face them, what they saw within was a set of shining, silver gauntlets lined with fine leather. They had large silver compartments on top of the forearm, clearly holding whatever source of weight was within them.

"These are for you," Nariko spoke. "I will be showing you how to use them after you've eaten, InuYasha."

InuYasha came forward then, leaning in to sniff them, before looking back to Kikyou with uncertainty. "They aren't warded," Kikyou spoke softly. "They're safe."

Lifting them up, he looked them over curiously, before he found a pressure plate in the palm. "What does this do?" he asked, but before Nariko could respond, he'd pressed the button, and the taijiya dove under the desk. In an instant a sling blade sprang out of the gauntlets, slicing through a shelf in its path, and landed with a sharp " _twang!"_ in the ceiling, sending books and scrolls tumbling to the floor. InuYasha stood frozen, ears pinned to his head, and all color was lost from his face as Nariko peeked over her desk, eyes wide.

"Are you soft in the head?" she yelled, slapping her hands on her desk, a tick working in her sharp jaw. Kikyou could only hide her face in her palm, and Hyousuke did little to help, cackling madly in a fit of laughter as InuYasha's expression fell from _worried_ to _terrified._

"I can fix that." he muttered, looking to the ceiling, staring down his apparent new weapon. Nariko threw a book at him out of sheer anger, the pages landing with a soft thud on the back of InuYasha's head, and for once in his life, he had little to say.

"Go and eat breakfast, get that out of my ceiling, and meet me in the training yard _as soon as you're done_ , else you go and kill us all by accident." With that, Nariko left the room, and had she not been a soldier, she surely would have been stomping.

Pressing the button again, the blade came firing back into the gauntlet, and once again, the thing looked neat and harmless. With a hollow, wide eyed look, InuYasha looked to Kikyou and Hyousuke... which unfortunately just sent Hyousuke spiraling back into another fit of untamed laughter.

"Can we simply go eat, please?" Kikyou begged, spinning on her heels and leaving the room.

"Stop _laughin',_ you ass!" InuYasha squawked.

Hyousuke didn't.

~~0~~

Nariko made her way to the training ground, frazzled and irritated, and looked out to her fellow villagers. "They're coming soon," she called out. "Be ready."

"Here," one of her men called, and a cup of hot tea was thrust her way. "To help you stay awake."

"Thank you," she sighed, sipping it as she waited. The men cleared out around her, having heard what happened in the seating room, and unwilling to be accidentally sliced in two by a clumsy hanyou. It wasn't long before the group of three came hurriedly from the house, standing around her expectantly. "About time," she sighed. "Now, give those here-" InuYasha nearly thrust the gauntlets at her, and she bristled- "Gently, please!" she bit out. InuYasha gave her a sour look before tenderly handing her the gauntlets, sulking at her lack of confidence in him... though he couldn't find it in him to blame her.

Slipping the heavy things upon her wrists, she struggled to adjust to them a moment, before finally growing comfortable with them. "I believe these will be perfect for you," she sighed. "They're much too heavy for most of us." InuYasha quirked a brow, looking to the others before looking back to her. "Now, look over there," she stated calmly. Nariko nodded to a series of clay pots that sat on top of logs protruding from the ground. "The goal with this weapon is to have more reach, and more accuracy. They can also react to youki, if one knows how to use it. It was a prized weapon for one of our warriors, long ago, as he found a way to harness a dragon's youki through its remains. You, being a half demon, should find it easier than most. Now," she spoke, tired. "As you discovered earlier, the pressure plates in the palm are what release the blade. Had I known earlier, I would have told you that they have a safety mechanism." Lifting a hand, she poked into the side of the palm's plate, and a soft click could be heard.

Making a fist, this time, the blades made no effort to shoot forward. "To take it off, simply press again." Again, the soft click was heard as she pressed. "And now, how to use it."

"Uh-huh," InuYasha nodded, looking attentively. Puppy ears pricked forward, genuinely interested.

Twisting out her forearm, Nariko released the sling blade, and with a jerk and pull, the blade followed her motions, slicing one of the pots in two horizontally, and then retracting back intot he gauntlet. As soon as it happened, on opposite, the taijiya brought forth her other arm, and in yet another jerk and twist motion, the other blade was sent firing from its gauntlet, and it sliced the other pot apart- but this time, vertically. Hyousuke gave an enthusiastic clap for Nariko, who smiled to him as she pulled back the second blade.

"There," she stated plainly. "Did you understand?" she asked.

"I think so," InuYasha said, scratching his head. "Looks easy enough."

"Its not," Nariko sighed. "Practice. As for harnessing youki, I leave that up to you."

InuYasha nodded, and took the weapons from her as she heaved it from her arms. Making sure to click the safety first, he put them on, flexing his fist within them. "They ain't heavy at all for me," he hummed.

"Good, they're all yours, kid. Just keep up your end of the bargain to help us."

Nodding, InuYasha looked back over to the pots, and Kikyou heard as he released the safety. It was only seconds before he had sprung up and into the air as the blades went flying, crashing into the ground, the logs, and all else within range. It was a good thing everyone had given him significant space, Kikyou assumed. Looking to Nariko, she smiled to her. "Nariko, may I ask when you will be available to talk?"

"Maybe tonight, come sun down. I need to sleep now." The sudden slump in the taijiya's shoulders was clue enough, and Kikyou nodded.

"Sleep well. We will speak then."

"Make sure he doesn't destroy my town, please. I'd like to have something to fight for, come night fall."

With a soft smile, Kikyou nodded, a laugh escaping her. "I promise to do my best."

Looking back to InuYasha, the miko sighed at the sight of him- though his movements were fumbling and clumsy, it was endearing to see him so determined. The blade often fell short, or flung out in the wrong direction, or worse, he would find himself tumbling out of the air in his efforts- his usual demonic grace failing miserably as he dealt with the new, swinging weight of the seven foot blades. Yet he only got up, mumbled to himself, and tried again. Hyousuke stepped closer to her, then, and Kikyou glanced to him.

"I can't decide if he's a beautiful sight, or completely graceless." he joked.

"I would suspect a bit of both." Kikyou hummed, looking to her noble friend. "How are your injuries?"

"Shallow," Hyousuke sighed. "Thank the kami for you and Hyousuke with your arrows, and especially InuYasha. That would have gone much worse last night, otherwise."

"We made it. That is all that matters, for the time being."

"Sure, but the real question is, what actually happened last night?" Hyousuke grinned, giving her a sleazy grin, and Kikyou rolled her eyes.

"Not what you're expecting, you filthy man." Cutting him an irritated glare, she looked to her sleeve, plucking at a stray bit of string. "It is of no concern to you."

"So you won't care when I confirm to Hisashi that the inevitable happened, right? Because, I have a bet to win."

"Hyousuke, with all that is in me, I will end you." she bit. "We talked, is that enough for you?"

"Mmhm, I'm positive you did. What else?" The noble gave her an innocent look, his smoky eyes shining with mischief.

"We kissed," she said, flat and irritated. "Is there nothing else we could discuss of importance?"

"Not right now, unless you want to go disturb that poor, _sleeping_ group in the house to start that barrier. They aren't due to wake up for another hour."

The mikos groan earned a few stares, and InuYasha even looked over his shoulder. "We kissed, that is truly all that happened."

"For two hours? In a bath house? And both of you came out clean? Still wet?"

Kikyou hated how clever he was. "We _may_ have been lacking clothing, but it was not as you suspect. It was intimate, but not... not in the way a man is with his wife."

"So... wait, you were kissing, and naked, but that's not what men do with their wives? Well, I was lied to." he bit out sarcastically.

Kikyou seethed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We did not... _consummate_ , Hyousuke, now leave, or I will break my bow upon your irritating scalp."

"Fine, we'll change topic, but you're a bore for gossip, at best."

"Then it is _wondrous_ how you crave mine so."

Grinning, Hyousuke shrugged. "Alright, good point. Now, about the jewel, before you chew your own teeth out-" he looked to her as she huffed defiantly, releasing the lock on her jaw, "Is it here?"

"Yes." she replied, quite finished with him.

"Are we going to get it?" he asked.

"Get what?" came the calling voice of Hisashi, who looked expectantly at Hyousuke.

"No," Hyousuke sighed.

"Still winning." Hisashi teased, grinning.

Kikyou looked at Hisashi as if she might strangle him where he stood, and he cleared his throat. "So, er, what are we getting, exactly?"

"The Shikon no Tama, its over there, in that shrine." Kikyou pointed idly, attempting to be discreet.

"That thing is pretty solidly protected." the ronin spoke, frowning. "The guards aren't our only worry in that regard."

"We are _not_ going to steal it," Kikyou sighed. "I will speak with Nariko tonight."

"You think she's just gonna give the thing to you?" Hisashi blinked, baffled.

"No, not at all. We will prove ourselves, or better, I shall." The thought of having that damnable thing again made it feel as though someone had poured ice water down her back, and Hyousuke noticed right away.

"You don't look too happy about that," the noble spoke, frowning.

"I am not." She said plainly, looking to InuYasha. He was getting the hang of the weapon now, and even managed to slice a pot in two.

"Its gonna be alright, Kikyou. We're here." Hisashi placed a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to look at him. "You're not alone, you know."

"I was last time." she said softly. "Even with InuYasha, I was alone with that thing, as only I could protect it... and I failed even then, being a fool to belove in happy endings and normalcy."

"Well, we're here. We'll figure it out. Don't go all lone wolf on us." Hisashi sighed.

Shaking her head, Kikyou smirked. "I have no intentions of doing so, as long as all of you are safe."

"Even if we aren't," Hyousuke sighed.

"But-" Kikyou's sentence was interrupted by the sound of a booming crack, and all spun on their heels to look at InuYasha, who soared above the village, swinging the sling blades and his Iron Reaver blades all at once- and in that moment, that one blitz of a moment, it was agreed among all that he was indeed _magnificent_.

His youki flared up and around his arms, bright as lightning that breaks open the night sky, and it channeled and cracked all through the connecting blades. His Iron Reaver followed close behind, just under the swinging metal, and when the weapon finally came down to meet its intended target- one of the thick, sturdy logs- what it did to the defenseless hunk of wood was nothing less than alarming.

It not only cut through the wood, it burned through it, and before it even had time to burst, it was being blown out and away with the forced wind of his attack, nothing left but a fine saw dust that twirled away in the billowing breeze. A hole was left in the ground, smoking hot and pluming with dirt, and it went down nearly ten feet. Kikyou stood, dumbstruck, and Hyousuke and Hisashi's jaws hung open alike.

"Kikyou!" InuYasha's voice rang out, and she saw a flash of red, and heard the clang of retracting metal in the dust cloud, "Kikyou!" he called, and he was in front of her, grinning with confidence, eyes all alight, with wild hair and dirty cheeks. "Did you see _that_?" he asked, panting, pointing to the crater he'd gone and made in the midst of the village.

"I- I did!" she laughed. "You were amazing!"

He looked to the others then, ears forward and alert, grinning. "Well? Did you see that?"

"Kinda couldn't miss it, there, buddy." Hiashi chuckled, giving him a hard clap on the back. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"That was only with one," InuYasha panted, looking to his arms, gauntlets shining in the sun. "And I missed. Wonder what I could do with-"

"Not in the village anymore, please." Nariko stood panting before them as she'd just come running, hands on her knees, half dressed and hair in all directions. "You did good- and thank the gods you missed everything- but I didn't even know that thing could do _that_. So, just go... go anywhere else." Breathless, she toddled back off to her house, and Hyousuke looked to InuYasha as he burst out with laughter all again.

"I fuckin' hate you, _Giggles_." InuYasha groaned, glaring at Hyousuke before he walked away, sulking angrily.

"You did well, InuYasha." Kikyou called after him. Though he made no attempt to look back, his ears twitched upward, and he seemed to stand a bit straighter.

"Yeah, yeah." he barked back.

~~0~~

Come late noon, they had all been working until their hands ached and twitched on the barrier. They had decided on a traditional *shimenawa, but encasing an entire town and blessing such a thing was no easy task. Yet, with the work of the town, they seemed to have succeeded, as Kikyou could ignite it with nothing more than a flick of her wirst. At her command, it would crack and spark with her pink reiki, and as she wiped the sweat from her brow, she found herself pleased at the sight.

"I'm just glad we had enough rope," griped Hisashi. "We were worried there for a second."

"Well, it is done now, and as we are all quite safe, I think it is time this town take the time to eat a decent meal." Smiling out to the villagers that flocked around her, they smiled to her, relief evident upon their exhausted faces.

"Thank you, miko-sama." one called, and she was met with a chorus of nodding heads and thankful praise. Pleased to see the happiness evident in so many faces, she smiled brightly, and found herself so distracted with joy she paid little notice to a pair of golden eyes that watched her from the town's wall.

InuYasha looked on at the scene, and as he watched the town flock to her side and lead her away, all of them discussing what they wished to eat, he found himself feeling... lonely. There was something other-worldly about her from this view, so distant from her, and it made him realize all the more that she should have been unobtainable. Something like her was not meant to be with something like him.

 _"I asked you what you thought of me... if I looked ordinary to you. I told you why I could never kill you."_

Her voice rang like bells in his mind.

 _"Why's that?"_

 _"Because we were both outcasts. I, a priestess, who could show no weakness, and you, a half demon, who could not, either. Both of us could never truly be human or our other selves, and so we were... alone."_

She didn't look ordinary, had never _been_ ordinary. She was so incredibly _human_. She was kindness, and anger, and wit, and sorrow. As much as she tried with all her might to hide that lingering look within her eyes, that distant, far away stare that he caught her casting into the distance, there was a sadness- timeless oceans of it, and more than anything, _fear._

 _"I, a priestess, who could show no weakness."_

He saw her weakness now, if he hadn't before. Or was it later? The him that he was now had never known her, but the him that she had known had known her well, by her assumption. He had let her kill him, by all accounts.

 _"A girl that looks as I do, with a smile as bright as the sun, she is the one who saves you. She frees you from my prison, and she will love you, love you as I do."_

 _"But I don't want another one, I'm not even sure what this is."_

 _"You will. When I am gone- and I will be gone, again and again, look for her. We are both born of our love for you."_

 _"I don't want you to die, even if its years from now."_

 _"I will always die, InuYasha. I will be gone each time, regardless or jewels, or curses, or reincarnations."_

 _"What will I do?"_

 _"Your life is mine, and my life is yours. I will always come back. I will never leave you alone. I promise."_

 _"But it won't be you."_

 _"It will be my love. Our love. The red string of fate can never be severed."_

Their conversation from the night before left him feeling lonely and spun, as he was only now beginning to feel for her- whatever this _feeling_ was becoming, but he already had no desire to see it gone. Yet with the boundaries set within their very races, he a half demon, and she, a human, he would lose her, outlive her, and it was something that ached for him to swallow. Now, especially, that they had found the jewel- it sat only yards away from him, actually, as she had explained the night before- it was even more likely he would soon see her gone, in one way or another.

 _"What will happen to you? You know, when the jewel is gone?"_

 _"I don't know."_

 _"Well, it brought you here. Will it take you back?"_

 _"Perhaps."_

 _"Can't we just leave the damn thing?"_

 _"No."_

He didn't like planning for a future- an incredibly distant future, at that- that he wasn't sure he wanted. If he avoided her in the future, prevented her death, then what? Would it change now? Would he be alone again? Would he... have always been alone?

"InuYasha, come eat!" she called, searching for him, and he was snapped from his day dreaming.

"I'm comin'!" He called, leaping down from his perch.

She smiled at him, and as he jogged up to her side, the happiness that lifted her cheeks at the sight of him made him feel more _abandoned_ and _terrified_ than he ever had before.

No matter what he did, he was going to lose her.

~~0~~

The villagers carried on for most of the evening, cooking lazily and feasting upon what food they had before sleeping for a few hours, and oh, did they sleep. Kikyou found it alarming how quiet the town became when they all tucked away within their huts, with her group of four standing guard, waiting patiently at the wall as the town went to rest.

She sat, staring out into the forest, chin propped up in her palm, elbow resting on her knee. The miko nearly looked bored, if not for the far off look in her eyes.

"Kikyou," InuYasha called, and the sound of her name in the still quiet made her jump, blinking wildly at him.

"Yes?" she said, caught off guard.

"Have you thought about what wish you should make on the jewel?"

"Yes, but I have nothing that would make proper sense. Midoriko only told me the simplest of things- that I must not be selfish."

"How'd she tell you that?" Gaze falling down to hers, InuYasha noticed Hisashi and Hyousuke off at a distance, just out of ear shot. Hisashi spent idle time braiding Hyousuke's too-long hair to get it out of the way in case of a fight, a piece of straw bouncing between his lips as their muffled voices filled the silent minutes.

"I was inside the jewel," came her answer. "It was in there that I heard her voice."

"How'd you get in there?"

"It just... took me. I made a wish, though not on purpose."

"What was the wish?" Puppy ears twitched her way, and Kikyou looked to him, expression falling into something sullen.

"I wished I had never doubted you. That I had the strength and life to fix my mistakes."

"Hmph," came his response, and he kicked at the dirt caked to the wood of the wall, left there by countless boots tracking across it. "So it sent you here. Why, though?"

"I knew the moment I arrived here that it was no mistake. I had only been here a day when I discovered you once more. That is no coincidence- I had feared I would have to search across the country to find you, but instead, the jewel dropped me mere hours from you... in a town that needed help right on the outskirts of where you were." Something cold glossed over her eyes then, and InuYasha twitched at how chilling those whiskey eyes suddenly became. "The jewel has something planned for us, or better, Magatsuhi does. He is the demons inside the jewel. He is who Naraku was meant to replace, and I, to replace Midoriko. My biggest fear is that I do not know, in this time, who it will attempt to seduce as it did Naraku."

"Do most people even know about the damn thing?" He wondered.

"It does not seem so, not in this time. It is why I think Midoriko sent me here."

"I just wish the damn thing disappeared." InuYasha groaned, eyes down cast.

Kikyou blinked. "What?"

"If the damn thing didn't exist, this wouldn't be an issue. I just wish it didn't, ya know?"

"InuYasha, you are by far the most _oblivious_ genius one could hope to meet."

"Huh?" he looked to her.

"If we simply wish for it to go away, perhaps it will."

"You'll never show up then, will you?"

"No..." she sighed. "And again, you're correct, it doesn't make sense, not really. If I wish away the jewel here, and it never exists, I would never have come back to wish it away in the first place, because I never would have lived and died to return. Does that make sense?" she asked softly, looking to InuYasha.

He blinked, the idea boggling him a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Kinda what I meant. Then what? Whatta you wanna do with it, if that won't work?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, heaving out a sigh as she covered her face in her palms. "I haven't the faintest clue anymore."

"S'gonna be okay," he sighed, grabbing her hand. "Stop your whinin', we got bigger fish to fry pretty soon. The suns gonna be down in an hour or so."

"I would be lost without your strength," she quietly admitted, allowing him to pull her up to her feet.

"Listen to me," he said suddenly, and the grip on her hand went from loose to firm, and his nostrils flared under the force of a hot breath as he found it within him to say the words he wanted. "I'm always gonna give you whatever strength you need, you understand?"

"What?" she asked, looking to him.

"You said you'd always come back, right?"

Her mind reeled a moment, but then she realized what he was talking about- last night, in the bath house. "Yes," she spoke, brows knitting with worry.

"Then I promise, any time I have you, I'll be here. I'll always be by your side, and you, by mine. "

Kikyou blinked, eyes hazy.

"If I can't keep you, I'm just gonna have to do my damndest to make sure you always have as long as possible, right?"

"Hush." she said softly, the dull pain in her chest gripping at her ribs.

"I promise."

"Like I'll lose you," she spoke, soft and winded.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Like I'm gonna lose you."

"That's so terribly sad to say, to think of you, waiting, always."

"I could say the same for you, stupid." A smile cracked her saddened face at his retort, and she laughed, one that more made her shoulders tremble than was actually heard. "Now stop it, you look pathetic, and I'm sick of you bein' all weird."

"You're the one that started this terribly _weird_ conversation, I will remind you." Her hand found his moonlight tendrils, and she pushed them away from his face. Leaning in, his mouth hovered over hers a moment, before she planted a feathery kiss upon his lips- so light, he nearly missed it. His face twisted, but it wasn't in disgust. More than anything, it was alarming. He still wasn't used to that- not that he minded, really. "And now I ask, who is the strange one?" she laughed.

"Still you," he bit out, looking away and turning towards the forest. He kept her arm tucked under his, though, and as she stared at the darkening horizon- full of red, orange, and bright, shining yellows, she thought of fire, and the battle to come.

As he squeezed her hand, she thought of him, and the battle she would fight for _him_.

~~0~~

Night came clawing at the sunset, the stars chasing down the last burst of color and swallowing it whole. The moon came creeping above them, and as it set itself above the horizon, the villagers emerged, rested, fed, armored, and gripping their weapons with new found vigor. Nariko came to Kikyou then, who held her bow with an iron grip, companions at her side.

Hyousuke and Hisashi stood arm to arm, clad in the armor of the taijiya, and had Kikyou known any better, she would have sworn it was made for them. Hisashi's broad shoulders and barrel chest were hugged tight by the thick, sturdy leather, and while he had looked threatening enough as he was, he now looked a proper warrior. His samurai garb had been lost, along with the horses, far back on the road during the jikininki's inital attack. When the horses had grown tired, there had been little left to do but send them running on their own. Hisashi hoped he would find them again, along with his armor, but he held few, if any hopes.

Hyousuke was no less impressive as he stood before her, his yari set firmly against the ground, pointing upwards. The usually beautiful noble now looked more the agile rogue, with the gas mask wrapped tightly about his features, and the leather framing his form. His hair remained tied back and away as Hisashi had wished, chestnut tendrils tightly braided and away with the utmost care. Kikyou noted she had never given him much of a look, but there was little helping it now. His sloping shoulders and well-toned build was shown to the naked eye, and she found herself impressed with his physique. She had long assumed him much less physically trained, given his noble standing. To see that he was actually more than prepared was much of a comfort to her.

It was Kikyou, though, who seemed to warrant to most alarming response. Nariko had convinced her, with the help of InuYasha's bickering worry ,to armor herself as well. It felt foreign, she knew, to be so terribly exposed- not an inch of her was left to the imagination, and she wondered how the slayers among the village were comfortable with such a thing. Her armor was accented with the traditional whites and reds of a miko, a sign of purity. Nariko had braided her hair down either side of the front of her, the long hair trailing down past her breasts.

"So no one can grab you from the back," she'd assured her, but Kikyou felt strange in it all the same.

The eyes of the men of the village lingered upon her, even if only for curiosity, but there were others that she could feel tracing her curves with their eyes. Her legs were toned and shapely from hours of walking. The curve of her waist, hips, bust, and even the slender, toned form of her shoulders seemed to catch dodgy eyes. But most, she found, seemed more shocked at the sight of her arms. They had expected her to be a delicate miko, she supposed, but it was not so- her arms, used to pulling back huge, hundred pound bows were toned and strong as the women of their village, and when the leather accented them it was a surprise, even to her.

"I assume you are prepared?" Nariko wondered.

"Yes, but I need to speak with you for a moment, if I may." Kikyou's expression was stony, and the taijiya seemed to note her urgency, nodding. "I need to speak with you of the-" heads turned, and Kikyou spoke softer, "I need to speak with you of the object you protect within your shrine."

Nariko shook her head, dismissing her. "It is of no importance."

Sighing, Kikyou moved closer. "Nariko, I am here to help, and I am aware of what is held within those walls."

Nariko stepped back, glowering at her. "How?"

A crack went out over the barrier, and a shrill scream that came from nothing that was human was heard. Kikyou sighed, shaking her head. "We have no time for that. Answer me this, if we help your village, if we should prove ourselves worthy, will you allow me to protect it? To purify it?"

"I can't answer that," the taijiya nearly hissed, brows furrowing. "If you know what's in there, you know that better than anyone."

"Then let me save your village, and afterwards, you will give me it, even if for self preservation." Nariko balked at the idea, looking at Kikyou as if she was speaking gibberish. Another scream rang out, and the barrier came alight once more. InuYasha bristled, cracking his knuckles. "You will, or I will remove the barrier, and the attacks will continue until your village is nothing but a smoldering, fetid ash. It is the truth, and if not me, then everyone around you will fall to the fate of that thing. I do not speak out of cruelty, I speak from simple fact."

"We need to get moving, Kikyou." InuYasha looked to her, and the moans of the jikininki could be heard at the wall, the squelching, wet sound of their rotting bodies as horrid as the screams they released with their deaths upon the barrier.

"Will you?" Kikyou asked, eyes hard, and Nariko looked about in scattered glances to her comrades. "Why do you think these attacks have become so fierce? It is because _that thing_ is calling them. It will never stop."

"Fine," Nariko grit out, "You get rid of these monsters, you leave up that barrier _, I'll let you in the shrine._ If you can purify it, its yours."

"That is good enough," Kikyou nodded, and with that, she looked to her group. "Let us make our way to the top of the wall. InuYasha," she spoke, looking to him.

"I'm on it," he groaned, and searching around, he pointed to the north east corner of the village. "Head over that way. That's where the most of 'em are."

"Nariko, you and your men protect your walls. We will take care of the thick of them."

Nariko nodded to the miko, but she looked anything less than pleased. Her comrades moved out along with her, and as she began shouting out her orders, the other four made their way to the farthest wall. "So, how are we doin' this? Just jumpin' right in?" InuYasha asked, brow quirked.

"Get me to the top of the wall," she demanded. InuYasha obliged, swinging her onto his back before leaping up and away. Hyousuke and Hisashi came running, close behind, and began their ascent upon the wall. As InuYasha sat her down, quick as a cat to pounce, Kikyou had her arrow drawn and fired. She was nearly automatic in her motions, firing repeatedly down into the clawing corpses, sending them flying and shattered, and as soon as there was an admirable amount of space, Kikyou looked to her hanyou ally. "Go, use your weapon, while I have the area cleared."

Inuyasha gave her a wicked grin, excited by the idea, and nodded. He dove down into the midst of them, and Kikyou was stopped in the instant she saw him at work. He had practiced most of the day, if not all of it, and in that little time, he seemed to have grasped the basic of the sling blades. He could now swing them as easily as his claws, and as he swept through the ranks of undead, it left her at a loss.

He was not only mowing them down, but he was taking them down _ten, twenty, thirty_ , at a time. His youki sparked and flared all around him as he cut them down relentlessly, and as Hisashi and Hyousuke came to her side, she looked to them.

"Holy shit," Hisashi blinked, face falling.

"Holy shit, indeed." Looking to Kikyou, Hyousuke blinked. "And you get him all to yourself, huh?" he teased.

"Now is _not_ the time!" grabbing another arrow, she went back to firing into the ranks, but it wasn't long before InuYasha came circling back, tearing through the ones that remained. Hisashi took up his bow then, and Hyousuke went scaling down the wall, calling out to InuYasha.

"Don't hit me that thing, alright?" he yelled to the hanyou, who spun around to see him, nodding. Looking out, Hyousuke made a quick observation, looking for the smarter ones- the ones that hadn't devolved into mindless hordes just yet. As quick as his legs would allow, he tore into the tree line, and with a horrid, sickly crunch, he found his mark and cracked through the skull of his first kill with his yari. It wasn't long before another came running, sneering at him with hollow eyes, and Hyousuke lept forward and over it, splitting it down through its temple. "You guys aren't very tough on your own, are you?' he taunted. Others emerged from the dark, and he dodged and tossed them down with ease. His motions were swift and sure as he took them out, all with the same killing blow- straight through the head.

Hisashi stayed with Kikyou, firing down the ranks alongside her. While her powers were a huge advantage, he was no less an excellent shot than her, and while he couldn't purify, he could hit them between the eyes with ease.

The battle went by significantly quicker than they could have imagined, thanks to InuYasha. Even Nariko could say little when they found themselves done and safe, merely picking off stragglers, come midnight. The other taijiya were nearly at a loss at the idea that it was over, and as the town regrouped, leaving the last of them to the barrier, Nariko nodded to Kikyou.

"Thank you," she spoke, voice softer than before, as if in awe.

"You're welcome." Kikyou sighed, offering a smile.

"Thank you, all of you," the taijiya smiled, looking to the four of them.

"Glad we could be of help," Hyousuke smiled, and Hisashi nodded.

"Can we get on to gettin' that-" Kikyou glared to InuYasha, who quickly chose better words. "Can we go look at that thing, now?"

Nariko sighed, looking to her comrades, who were all more than ready to celebrate, and with a sigh, she nodded. "Yes, fine. Keep your mouths shut, though. No one knows what's in there. I _especially_ don't know how you do."

"We may disuses that inside." With a solemn stare, Kikyou looked to the men in her group, and it was as if she didn't know who they were. Had the three of them not known better, they would have thought she was walking into her own grave. The look in her eyes was distant, and it was if the sweet woman they'd come to know was gone. A chill shook their shoulders, and as they looked at each other, a silent conversation was had among friends.

 _"Are we losing her?"_

 _"I don't know."_

 _"What do we do?"_

 _"Nothing."_

Kikyou walked behind Nariko, and they made their way up the stairs of the shrine. The taijiya pulled open the heaving doors, stepping in, and Kikyou followed behind her. Perhaps the worst part of it was that, as much as InuYasha silently begged her to do so, she never looked back. When the doors snapped shut behind them, an odd silence crept over the boys, and Hyousuke saw the way InuYasha's ears fluttered downward and up again, as if trying to listen, and hide his stress.

"She'll be alright." Hisashi said to the two, palms resting on their shoulders.

InuYasha shrugged away from him, gritting his teeth. "Will she be, though?"

"InuYasha," Hyousuke sighed, frowning. "We can only hope for the best."

"That thing brought her here, it can take her back, too." he scowled.

"Why would it bring her here, just to throw her back? That seems counter productive for whatever it wants." Hisashi mumbled, crossing his arms.

Tucking his hands away in his sleeve, InuYasha sulked, staring at the door like it had whisked her from existance. "You're right, but she didn't even say-"

"She can't," Hyousuke groaned, looking to InuYasha. "You're not the only one who's scared, you know. We don't want to lose her, either."

"Why the hell are you so attached to her anyway?" the hanyou bit, ears pinning down.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Hisashi said. "You know she's the only reason I can touch Hyousuke in the open eyes of the public, right? Sure, we gotta fight, but she's given us freedom."

"Why don't you just leave?" InuYasha groaned. Fear of abandonment getting the best of him, he spun to face them now, teeth bared and shining.

"We don't want to," Hisashi spat. "She saved Hyousuke, did what I couldn't, scared Fujiwara shitless. That's something, isn't it? She cares. We care."

"You aren't alone," Hyousuke suddenly soothed, and InuYasha looked down to him, frowning. The noble's charcoal eyes burned with a sudden understanding, and he nodded to the hanyou again. "You aren't. We're here too."

"For her, you mean." With a sigh, InuYasha looked away.

"No, for you, too. We're friends, aren't we?" Hyousuke wondered, looking hurt.

 _Friends?_ InuYasha thought. Were they?

"Whatever," he huffed and growled, shoulders shrinking in and up. "Just... help me watch the door, tell me if you see anything funny."

"Way to deflect." Hisashi sighed, looking back to the shrine.

"I'll deflect your ass, ronin."

"Don't threaten me with a good time." Hisashi teased.

The stunned silence from InuYasha brought a moment of humor to the group, and as Hyousuke cracked and giggled, some of the heavy tension that hovered over them was gone.

It was sudden when it was lost to them, though. They all caught their breath when they saw the bright, blinding light burst from within the shrine, and when it sounded as if the inside of the Shrine was _collapsing_ , InuYasha heard a scream that cracked through silence like a bullet in the night. It kept calling, kept booming and shaking in the air, and as they ran to the doors, reaching, searching, nearly ripping the doors from their hinges, the scream turned into a strangled cry. They couldn't get in.

The building shook and quaked beneath the power of whatever force was inside, and they tore at the doors like animals that run from forest fire, desperate, clawing, fighting, but that scream kept echoing, kept recurring.

It wasn't until all grew still, with not a sound coming from the shrine, that InuYasha realized who was screaming, felt it inside him, felt the ripping sensation in his own throat.

They was _his_ screams.

" _Kikyou!"_

* * *

Shimenawa (標縄・注連縄・七五三縄, literally "enclosing rope") are lengths of laid rice straw rope used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. They can vary in diameter from a few centimetres to several metres, and are often seen festooned with shide. A space bound by shimenawa often indicates a sacred or pure space, such as that of a Shinto shrine.[1]

Shimenawa are believed to act as a ward against evil spirits and are often set up at a ground-breaking ceremony before construction begins on a new building. They are often found at Shinto shrines, torii gates, and sacred landmarks.

They are also used around yorishiro (objects capable of attracting spirits, hence inhabited by spirits). These notably include certain trees, in which case the inhabiting spirits are called kodama, and cutting down these trees is thought to bring misfortune. In cases of stones, the stones are known as iwakura (磐座、岩座?).[2]

A variation of the shimenawa is used in sumo wrestling by yokozuna (grand champions) during their entrance ceremonies to denote their rank. This is because the yokozuna is seen as a living yorishiro (formally shintai), and as such is inhabited by a spirit.


	7. Chapter 7

_"For a long time, she held a special place in my heart. I kept this special place just for her, like a "Reserved" sign on a quiet corner table in a restaurant. Despite the fact that I was sure I'd never see her again."_  
 _― Haruki Murakami_

* * *

It was bright.

Blindingly so, the heat of the light was like fire against her skin, and she was falling, falling, falling-

 _Not again. Please, not again-_

"Kikyou!" came the shrieking voice of her almost lover.

 _Not again, please, gods, hear me, not again-_

Fists pounded on a door that was growing more and more distant, and the screams, oh, the screams-

 _I'm trying, I was close-_

She spiraled in the air, flipping, and suddenly, nothing caught her, but she landed none the less on emptiness, and it was black again. Her eyes hurt as if she'd stared into the sun, and her cheeks felt chapped and ashen from the heat-

" _Kikyou!" his voice came calling, but it was away now, gone, going-_

"Miko," came a booming voice, hard and biting and feminine in its authority, "Do you listen to nothing?"

"Where are we?" came a whisper, and in the blinding darkness came a hand, gripping at Kikyou's raven braids. "Oh gods, Kikyou, please tell me its you."

"Nariko?" she breathed, but she couldn't see her, could only feel her, with pawing, snatching hands as she used her hair to lead her to the miko's body until she could feel the heat of her skin against another's.

"I'm scared," came the taijiya's trembling voice, and the helplessness that Kikyou heard squeezing at Nariko's tone was enough to make her own shoulders tremble.

"Kikyou," came that voice again, ethereal and everywhere and _angry_ , "Do you lack ears upon the side of your head? Did you do nothing but take the body I granted you and smother it in the same filth _again_?"

"Midoriko-" Kikyou choked, and she covered Nariko, grappling onto the stranger, impish and unsure.

"Silence," the ancient woman demanded, and in a moment she was there, fabricated from nothing, bringing light into the blackened abyss. "I told you, I told you to silence your selfishness."

"Midoriko, you must know that it was not enough, I do not understand-"

"Tell me of your purity, _girl_ ," the samurai miko gripped her sword above Kikyou, breathing shallow and panting and _hot_ \- "Tell me of what purity you have after letting that wretch slather you in wickedness and lust all again. Do you not remember why you failed _originally_?"

"Please," Kikyou sobbed, and she struggled to her feet. Nariko crawled back and away, and her statuesque stature was lost, and she was small, and frightened, and wanted to _run_. "Please, I can't, I love him, I love him Midoriko-"

"Its because you let him _fuck_ you," the slur fell off the ancient's tongue and landed within Kikyou like lava that comes pouring and coursing from a mountain top and crashes, crashes and destroys all it can in its path, forests and houses and everything burning alive in its wake, and Kikyou felt herself, her confidence, her assurance, burn alive within her, "You let him _fuck_ you and you lost yourself to his wretched hands, to this idea you've come to call _happiness_."

It didn't sound right, it was so wrong to hear such words come out of one so "pure."

"I am not pure," she sobbed, "I have never wanted to be pure."

"Because you are selfish."

"Because I love him," she shouted, and her resolve was lost, and she was angry, angry as Midoriko-

"You are a _whore_!" Midoriko shrieked, and Kikyou felt herself pushed back and away, spine cracking against the nothingness behind her, onto the stone floor that didn't exist.

"Stop it!" screamed Nariko, and she went to Kikyou then, hovering over her body, palms flat next to her as she guarded the miko with her body.

"You have no place here, taijiya," Midoriko panted, face hot, and the creases that lined her cheeks were dripping with sweat.

"Don't hurt her, she is- she is so kind. Coy, but kind, she doesn't deserve-"

"She will be the death of this world," Midoriko's sword shook within her hand, "If she does not _quit this foollishness_."

"How do you know?" Nariko trembled as Kikyou groaned beneath her, muscles fitting with a spasm beneath the pain-

"Because she is me," Midroki growled. "What is _left_ of me in your world. Just like Kagome is what is left of _her_. How do you think Kagome came to have the jewel, Kikyou?"

"I don't know," Kikyou panted, and she rolled over, but gods- was something broken?

"She was born with it _inside_ of her, Kikyou. She was born with it because she is what is left of _your_ purity, what is left of _me._ I made it so. You, though, had to go and return- a shell of hatred and lust and boiling disappointment- because you heard that _filthy animal's_ voice."

"Do not call him an animal," Kikyou bit out, and her rage moved her, and she clawed against nothing, pulling herself up.

"He is nothing but a halfling, and you, you're-"

"His name is _InuYasha_!" Kikyou wailed, and from her, it suddenly came- bursting reiki, shining light that cracked through the darkness, brighter, brighter even than Midoriko's- "And you, you miserly, seething wretch- what was it that made you fail?" Her hands shook as she found her footing, but it was weak, oh gods, the pain shot through her as she moved, "Your pretentious rage? Was it your inability to accept failure? Were you so _overly_ confident you refused help against _countless demons_?" Kikyou's voice had never been this strained, but she was yelling, composure gone, she was infuriated, sick of it, and the words shot our of her like sparks from fire, "It was your pride that made you trapped in this hell, wasn't it?"

Then came the laughter.

It was a chorus that came echoing, thousands of voices from every direction, and all of them had that hellish tone, like a choir that had been pulled straight from the most evil pits of the river of death.

"It was," they sang. "It was indeed."

Midoriko went pale.

"We are all made of sin," Kikyou breathed, face twisted and gripped with years if bitterness, "And you are no different."

"He will be the death of you," Midoriko roared, but something was pulling on her now, back into the void.

Kikyou grabbed Nariko, holding her tight by the arm, and the taijiya gripped her all the same. "So be it," she spat out, and her powers pulsed again, pushing it back- all of it back and away, bright and pink sand savage. "I have died for him once, and I would do it, _will do it,_ all again."

"You would curse the world for one man?" she grit.

"I would curse the stars as well, if it meant he was never found wanting and alone."

"Kikyou," Nariko breathed. "You would-?"

"Because he would die to save it." Kikyou finished, and tears fell from her eyes, but not out of sorrow, or emptiness, but because her heart was full- so full of feeling, of things never shown, of _white hot anger_. "And I will never allow him the fate of loneliness, because he- InuYasha- _he_ is my _purity_."

"It is settled then," came the demons. "You have decided your fate."

And it was bright again, and they were falling, falling, falling, and it burned their skin, blinded their eyes, and Nariko yelped as she held Kikyou like her last vestige of life.

When she landed this time, though, upon a collapsed floor in a now empty shrine, there was no miko, no jewel- only the smell of billowing dust and broken walls, and a pounding- where was it coming from?

She heard the wood heave beneath the strength of the half demon, and it was his voice, his scream ringing through the night, that brought her back to reality.

"Where is Kikyou?" he wailed, pulling Nariko to her feet, looking her over with horror in his eyes.

"What?" she asked, staring into those golden orbs, shocked and terrified. "She's not- where? Where did she-?"

"She's gone." cried Hyousuke as he came running, and his shock fell to sadness, tears threatening his composure as he looked frantically for any sign of Kikyou.

"She can't be," InuYasha growled, and he tore through the wreckage, throwing and digging and slamming and roaring in desperation. "She can't be, damnit!"

"She's gone, InuYasha." Hisashi sighed, and he grabbed the hanyou, who thrashed and kicked and cursed the gods in the ronin's powerful arms.

"Give her back to me, you fucking coward! Come out and fight me!" His voice bounced off the wreckage with an ear-busting echo, and Hisashi gripped him tighter, pulled him to the ground as he kicked and gasped and _panicked_ in realization that there was nothing left, nothing there to hear him, nothing there to save her from.

 _He'd lost her._

~~0~~

She'd been gone two weeks, and they'd waited, waited a long while, days and nights, but it was to no avail. They had to return home, and they knew exactly what would be waiting for them.

The silence between them as they had walked back to the estate was deafening, and it was foreign when the dog-boy, their _friend_ , didn't come with them, refused to leave that town.

They had wanted him to come, didn't want to lose him too, but they were back now, back in that office where their adventure started.

Hyousuke pinched the bridge of his nose as his father broke another vase against the wall, spittle staining the corner of his mouth as he looked at his son, eyes blood shot and glaring like that of a rabid animal.

"You had one fucking job, you imbecile, and now you tell me she's gone again?"

"Yep," came Hyousuke's response, but it was lost and drifting, the words coming from a mouth he swore wasn't his. The prince no longer cared.

"You got nothing to say, then." The kokujin frothed, kicking a desk. Seiichi was trying to scare him, to threaten him, to get some form of response from the dead pan man that used to be his cowering son.

"Not a thing," Hyousuke looked to his father, who came stomping, charging to grab him.

"You are a failure, a disappointment, had your mother not gone infertile after you, I would have taken you out of this world myself, you miserable-"

Hisashi rounded the corner, frantic and sick of it, and when his fist busted into the kokujin's jaw, the crack was heard from down the hall as the bone shattered beneath muscle and flesh. Seiichi fell beneath his own weight, falling against the floor, and sputtered blood and spit down and over his chest, looking up to his attacker. "Ronin," he choked, dazed and angry, "What do you think you're doing?"

"What I should have done a long time ago." The fist came again, and bone cracked loudly once more.

The servants stayed clear as the groans and cries of a grown man being beaten senseless echoed through the walls- but it was agreed, no one was coming, and no one seemed to care as doors slapped shut.

Whispers cast their way through the silence, tales of the beaten prince and the gracious priestess, of the woman who had stood before a cruel man and screamed "freedom" through the house for the sake of the son next in line. She, who fought demons and saved the town, was the reason the crops would grow again and children could play in the fields; she had favored, even followed Fujiwara Hyousuke.

No one was surprised when they found the source of the whispers, a small, meek girl, one that had followed Kikyou and listened quietly at paper thin doors, and her name was _Ami_.

~~0~~

InuYasha stayed in the taijiya village, and to his amazement, was welcomed with open arms. Nariko had demanded it, even, saying that he was deserving, that the miko had spoken of nothing but love and respect for him, and it was settled. After his display of power and willingness to defend the village, he was offered space to build a home, and so he had. Tirelessly he built it, with hammers and wood and rocks and sweat and _hope_.

 _If I stay here, maybe she'll come back_.

So he stayed, and he built rooms, he thought of a home she would want, thought of windows, and sunshine, and vanities and soft, warm beds for her her to fall into. Thought of fire, and warmth, and scent, and food, food that she would show him, food that she would teach him to eat with delicate fingers and pearly white teeth that shined when she smiled at him. He thought of her arms around him, of lips much too close. He thought of her mouth, the way it moved, the way it spoke his name, the way her slick tongue told stories of affections from a past's future and asked for him to come closer between begging, pouty lips.

 _If I stay here, I can show this to her when she returns. She would be proud of me_.

All of her things were kept neatly in a corner, her satchel, her miko robes, her bow, her arrows, untouched, timeless.

 _She'll need these when she gets back._

He assured himself of that, yes, surely, she would need these when she returned.

He burned incense in the house that was much too strong, burned his nose and spun his senses, his nose too sensitive for the perfumes that humans used, but he burned it, burned it all day as he waited, he waited so patiently.

 _Lavender and almond, so it will smell like her, smell familiar when she gets back._

But a year had passed now, and he ached. Ached and pined as he stared at the shrine- he'd rebuilt that, too, couldn't let her possibly return in something so broken and shattered-

 _I miss her._

So he made it beautiful for her, burned sage, kept it pure inside, kept it bright, kept it polished and new-

 _Come back to me._

He wanted to scream.

 _She'll always come back._

 _She promised._

~~0~~

Nariko felt frozen, usually, blaming herself- _Maybe if I'd held on tighter_ \- and constantly afraid of "the end" that had been spoken of so clearly. The only time she felt even remotely normal was when she watched him- the half demon.

She understood now, after two years of watching him, why Kikyou had loved him so much. He was harsh, rash, and at times outright rude and irritating- but he was loyal, fiercely so, with busy hands and lonely eyes; even though he would never admit that feeling, wouldn't even mention her name, it was always for her.

The boy did anything he was asked, despite the groaning that usually accompanied his agreement, and was nearly a gift to those around him. The fields stayed laden with crops from his rough and blistered hands, and the children- they never feared if they wandered off in the forest these days, because the white hound was there, always watching, always defending, and at the sound of a whimper, he was all gruff whispers and finicky hands, patting away dirt from cheeks and checking scraped knees.

Tonight he sat idly at the door of the shrine- _How odd that he seemed nearly like the shrine's guardian these days, like the spirits in legend_ \- and his silver hair pooled around his shoulders, eyes cast out to the moon. Walking nearer to him, Nariko stood, watching him, before puppy ears twitched and swiveled in her direction.

"Whatta you want, Nariko?"

"Can I sit with you?" she asked, and he gave a grunt in response, shrugging his shoulders.

It wasn't until she was at his side that he noticed the bottle of sake wrapped up in her arms, and the two cups she held in the other hand. With a sneer he looked to the ground, curling further into himself, hands tucked up and away in his sleeves, and hard as he tried, she knew he hadn't forgotten what tonight was. "Do what you want." he growled. She'd plopped down next to him then, leaning against the wall that he'd kept perfect, and she poured them each a cup of the rice wine.

"Its been six more months," she said softly. "I didn't want you to spend it alone."

"I don't need your company." The look in his eyes said otherwise, and Nariko only handed him his cup.

"I know." she lied, and they drank, and drank, and _drank_ , until their minds were numb and all that could be thought of were the stars, and jokes, and half-hearted laughter that smothered and strangled the burning question of _where is she?_

~~0~~

Seiichi was gone.

No, better, he had _disappeared_. The old bastard had lingered within the castle like a whipped dog for as long as he could stand it- _Hyousuke noticed the way his nose remained crooked all this time, a constant reminder_ \- but the battered lord had vanished in the night a week ago, and it was almost shocking how little anyone cared. His mother had even remained silent, horrified at the prospect of being found guilty of her husband's crimes- _How could she be, she was his victim as well_ \- and life moved on with little consequence.

"Hyousuke-sama?"

With a dreary gaze, Hyousuke looked up from the papers on his father's desk, blinking himself back into reality as he watched the door slide open, finding Ami in the center of the hallway.

"What is it, dear?" he asked calmly.

"I have a letter from the taijiya village," she spoke softly. "From InuYasha-san."

Beckoning her in, Hyousuke nearly jumped from his desk, snatching up the scroll from the girls hands, who laughed at his enthusiasm. Pulling it open, he read the words scrawled in chicken-scratch kanji:

"Weird shit is happening, and I think we may need you and that asshole of yours.  
Come to the village if you can. I can't say too much, Nariko keeps babbling about intercepted letters being bad, but if you can get down here, we need to see you. We think it involves _her_."

The word "her" was circled and underlined, and Hyousuke nearly laughed at the intensity surrounding that one little pronoun. "Go and fetch Hisashi," Hyousuke asked softly, and Ami grinned.

"Is she coming back?" she asked, brimming with joy.

"I don't know yet," he answered honestly. "Now go and get Hisashi."

The girl tore down the hall like hell was on her heels, and Hyousuke could only match her enthusiasm as he scrambled through his desk to make arrangements. He had visited InuYasha hardly a month ago and was genuinely worried the boy might wither, but now, with this, it meant _something_ if InuYasha was sending for him.

Ami popped back in the door, waving frantically. "He had a question, Hyousuke-sama!- I mean, Fujiwara-sama." she bowed.

"What is it?"

"Who's going to be in charge while you're gone?" she asked, springing up.

Hyousuke grimaced. "Call Daiki for me, I suppose."

"Alright!" she grinned, and again, the girl was gone from his door, with pounding feet and gasping breath.

She hadn't an ounce of regality in her, but for the life of him, Hyousuke couldn't make himself correct her actions.

~~0~~

Seiichi tore through the forests with his horse, gasping breaths escpaing gritting teeth.

"I'll kill them." he cursed to himself, and he had no idea where he was headed, couldn't fathom where his steed took him now with pounding hooves.

"With all that is within me, I will find that ronin's master, and I will send the samurai after him and that putrid spawn Chikako calls a _son_."

Night was creeping over the forest, and he was met with nothing but the cold wind that rushed and burst in his face, the chill of winter setting in.

"I'll find the power to destroy you and that entire house, Hyousuke."

~~0~~

Hisashi and Hyousuke arrived at the town at the first, glittering moments of dawn, and when they looked upon the wall, it was InuYasha they saw waiting, fidgiting and eager.

"Hey!" he rasped out, leaping down to meet them in the path. "Took you two long enough!"

"Well, we're here now." Hisashi smirked, and Hyousuke nearly fell off his horse in his fumbling, rushing movement to tackle InuYasha with an embrace. InuYasha caught him awkwardly, looking at him with a frown.

"Its so good to see you!" the noble beamed as InuYasha's arms hung out at his sides, hovering and bewildered.

"Its only been a month, stupid." he sighed, gently pushing Hyousuke away.

"Too long," sighed the noble. "I mean, who else do I have to irritate in your absence?"

"Its been nearly three years, find someone else, already."

"So what's the news?" Hisashi sighed.

"The shrine is... I dunno, pulsing. Even the villagers can sense the weird aura its letting off." InuYasha's ears flickered, and Hyousuke bit his lip. The look in the hanyou's eyes was not scared and fretful as one would think, but instead, it was expectant and hopeful.

"Let's go check it out!" Blurting out his words, Hisashi gripped at the the reigns of Hyousuke's horse, pulling it along. They took off to the stables, with trotting hooves and swinging tails, and Hyousuke grinned at InuYasha as he lead the way to the shrine. Their feet itched to run, but they contained what little reservation they had and paced toward the towering, sacred building. Nariko stood on the porch of the shrine, arms crossed over her plated chest, staring at the walls as if they may very well leap out and bite her.

"Nariko!" Hyousuke was running now, springing up the steps, "How have you been?"

"Well caffeinated," she sighed, looking to the noble, "I'm afraid to close my eyes these days. How are you? Did your father approve of our alliance?"

"He's gone, the old bastard. I suppose you could say he didn't have to. You're officially honored guests within the estate, if you or your villagers ever wish to visit."

"Thank you," she breathed. "It is good to know I have friends in high places."

InuYasha bristled at their idle chatter, teeth gritting and toes curling against the wood. Patience was not a gift he easily gave, but he waited for Hisashi, who came barreling up the street.

"So," Hisashi gasped, looking to the door, "Can we go inside now?"

"Finally," InuYasha groaned, giving Hisashi and approving stare, and with a quickened hand he pulled open the doors. The three followed him inside, and what they were met with was an odd sight indeed.

The aura was tangible and swirling within the midst of the shrine, with flecks of pinks appearing and falling away like dust in the wind, and InuYasha looked to the others with nervous apprehension. "Its been like this for a week, and it keeps gettin' bigger," he told.

"Its pink like her powers." Hisashi's statement said the words no one else had dared speak, not willing to cause fruitless hope.

"The jewel was pink when she touched it, as well." Nariko bit her nails, worrying.

"Have you tried touching it yet?" Hyousuke asked.

"What?" InuYasha's head spun, and Hyousuke nodded.

"Touch it!"

They all stared at him as if he were some foreign creature, and Hyousuke groaned, rolling up his sleeves. He thrust his arms into the midst of the twisting essense, and the ground shook.

"Stop it, you idiot!" InuYasha growled, jerking Hyousuke against him. "We can't have you disappearin' too, Hyousuke."

It swirled wildly now, and InuYasha looked up. There was a glimpse inside it, like a ghost, and for a moment, he caught the sight of fluttering lashes and long hair.

"By the gods," Nariko gasped, "Was that-?"

"Touch it again!" yelled Hisashi, and he shoved InuYasha this time, causing him to stumble and fall into the crackling, swirling aura. A voice came then, muffled and strange and incomprehensible, as if echoing from a void, and InuYasha gripped at the shining, glittering pinks.

"He's thrashing at the air," Nariko whispered to Hisashi, who nudged her in return, meeting her eyes with a scolding gaze.

"Kikyou?" InuYasha spoke, and then it finally came. A portal opened that lead to nothing, to blackness, to open and vast emptiness.

"That's what it looked like inside the jewel!" Nariko gasped. "That's- that's inside the jewel!"

Beofre anyone could speak, InuYasha was through, charging into the portal, and it was almost as if he was simply gone inside, the darkness cloaking him as soon as he entered.

"Shit!" Hisashi gasped, looking to Hyousuke. "What are we gonna do? What do we-"

And then, as soon as it had come, it closed.

~~0~~

InuYasha's feet pounded, but he could smell her, faint and distant, but she was there- he knew it. She had to be.

"Kikyou!" His voice carried a distance immeasurable, "Kikyou!"

"InuYasha." Came a voice, but it was not _hers_ , was not who he waited for.

"I'll fuckin' kill you!" his voice cracked, and he was blind, so very blind in this nothingness.

"I am quite sure you shall," came the voice of Midoriko, sarcastic and taunting, and she was before him, ancient and timeless and beautiful. InuYasha noted her face, so much like Kikyou's, but older, and there was no smile, no love to be found in that glowering gaze.

"Who are you? Where- where is Kikyou?" he growled, flexing his claws.

"You are a fool," she breathed, and she gripped her sword. "I was hoping it would not come to this, but you, half-breed, would not give up, would not leave this place, you stayed no matter the years, and you live far too long for my tastes."

"What are you talkin' about?" he growled, and his youki flared over his gauntlets, coming alight. "Tell me where Kikyou is!"

"You've gone and tainted her, you know. Destroyed what she was meant to be with your filth and lies."

"I'm tired o' listenin' to you talk, wench!"

And InuYasha was after her, leaping towards her like a wolf that defends its pack with gnashing teeth, but Midoriko met his strokes with ease, glaring him down.

"What do you want from her, half-breed? What could you possibly need from her? What can you obtain?" She struck him down, and he was sent flying, falling, crashing in the abyss.

"What the hell do you mean?" he groaned, rolling onto his side, trying to recover from the impact. "I don't want nothin' from her. I could ask the same of you!"

"Demons cannot love." she spat.

"Never said I loved her," he growled, cheeks flushing.

"Then what is it you want?"

"I-"

"Answer the question!" she yelled, and her sword was out and at his throat now as she rushed him, trembling with the need to flay him open.

"I don't owe you an explanation," he bit, shoving her sword away.

"Give it, or I will end her all again."

"Don't you touch her!" he growled, and he was after her again, with biting fangs and raking claws, and when he took a hit from her sword only to rip into her chest, Midoriko's breath caught as she was sent tumbling. The hanyou stood before her, panting and growling and _dripping_ with blood that drizzled and pooled from his chest. "You give her _back_ to me, wench, or you're gonna have to kill me, because I won't let you lay a _finger_ on Kikyou."

"Tell me why," Midoriko gasped, gripping her chest, and it burned- gods, how his claws had ripped her open- "Tell me _why_."

"Because I made a promise," he seethed, baring his fangs. "Because I made her a damn promise and I'll die before I break it."

"What was it?" she gasped, but the wound was healing. She was eternal, after all.

"I'll always be by her side," he panted, and he stumbled, the cut was deeper than he had expected it to be, but he hadn't been thinking of himself, either.

Midoriko paused then. "I suppose you have already broken it," she cooed, voice cold as the rivers in winter, and her tone washed him over. "It has been three years almost, hasn't it?"

"I never left. I won't leave. Not until I get her home."

"She has no home with you. She has no home with anyone. Her fate is set in stone."

"Then I'll _make_ her one!" he yelled, and then his claws came again, but this time, soaked in his own blood.

She felt his youki flare, and blades of blood came firing at her, ripping through her armor. He was fast. "You're going to die in here, is what you will do."

"Stop talkin'!" he screamed, and he readied his claws again.

"You would truly die to save her? You know if you attack me again, I will strike you down."

"Then you better kill me before I catch my breath," he choked, wincing.

The ancient priestess watched him, and for a moment, she felt it- felt _pity_ for the animal. He was serious, he was going to attacker her until she killed him, and all for Kikyou.

 _"Because he would die to save it."_

Kikyou's words haunted her. This boy would die to save the world, would die to save an impure miko that loved him, loved him more than the world, than herself. To save the girl that would be the death of everything around her.

"Give her back," he growled, and Midoriko sighed.

"Tell me something," she pondered, quirking a brow, "Were she to have to take on an impossible task, would you protect her?"

"What?" he growled.

"You are her driving force. Would you die by her hand so that she will make the right choice?"

"'Accordin' to her, I already do, in some other time where she came from."

Midoriko was suddenly, entirely lost for words. "You knew? When you died?"

"You put her here, didn't you, you idiot?" he spat, groaning in pain. "So I gotta know her in the future, don't I? I gotta know that she's gonna kill me one day just so she can come back here."

"And you have accepted that fate?" Midoriko asked, and suddenly, her anger was lost.

"Yeah," he gasped.

"You do love her," she breathed, and Midoriko was lost as the words escaped her.

"Don't put words in my mouth."

"You would _die_ for her."

"You gonna keep repeatin' yourself? 'Cause some of us ain't so dumb that we gotta hear it twice."

Midoriko looked out into the emptiness then, pursing her lips, and with a defeated glance she brought forth a hand. The wounds in his chest sealed shut, and the ancient miko nodded.

"Then you may have her." she breathed.

"What?" He barked, looking around, and then Kikyou was falling into his arms from nowhere, and he caught her against his chest.

"She chose her fate," Midoriko sighed, "And it was to die for you."

"What do you mean?" He was all hands now, looking over the limp body of the girl he had hardly known, but knew just enough to know of her love.

"He's coming." the ancient whispered, and with that, she was gone.

~~0~~

They crashed back into existence.

Quite literally, they did- they appeared into the shrine, mid air, and fell. InuYasha was wrapped around Kikyou's limp form as he hit the wooden floor with a hard crack, cradling her head, and he let out an irritated "Oomph!" as his ribs met flooring.

Hyousuke, Hisashi, and Nariko were all yelling over each other, asking question after question, pulling InuYasha up to his feet as he held Kikyou against him like she would vanish from him once more.

"You got her!"" Hyousuke exclaimed, looking to the miko in disbelief. "You got her!"

"Get me the hell out of this shrine," InuYasha's breathing was shallow and panicked as he let his friends hold him up, and they carried him with quickened steps out and into the streets, up the steps to the home he'd built for _her_ , and when he entered his own door, he found his feet, carrying her to the bed.

"InuYasha, why isn't she moving?" came the question, slipping past Nariko's lips, the one InuYasha didn't want to hear, couldn't answer.

With a gentleness most didn't know he had within him, he laid her down, and it was then they all got their first good look at the Kikyou he'd saved.

She was thinner, much thinner than she had been when the jewel had taken her, and her face had lost its color. It was as if she had withered, and InuYasha cupped her face in his hands, brows furrowed in worry. "Kikyou," he called softly, but her skin was cool to the touch.

It was then that they noticed it, truly saw it for the first time- the jewel, as it hung loosely from her neck, bright and shining and pure as it had needed to be, and InuYasha picked it up, staring into it. "So this is the thing that's been causing all this, huh?"

"I suppose so," Hisashi sighed.

"Is she... is she even alive?" Hyousuke wondered, face twisted with worry.

"Yeah," InuYasha sighed. "Barely, though. I can hear her heart beat."

"InuYasha," came the airy tone, and fingers twitched and wriggled towards him, and his hand found hers, warm and rough and all that he was. "You found me." Fogged eyes searched for him then, and the rich mahogany that once held so much color and life were now a dull, sickly brown.

"O' course," he frowned, and his hardened palm pushed the hair from her face, cradling her gaunt cheek. "I told you I'd always come, or were you not listenin' again?"

"I'll go get her some water." the voice was a whisper, and as Nariko made her way to the small, quaint kitchen, Hyousuke and Hisashi followed with tip-toeing steps.

"I waited," she said softly. "I did all I could to return to you, but I could never find a way out. I am not even sure how long I've been gone, my love. Eventually, I simply... I simply collapsed. Did I make you wait terribly long?"

"There you go again," he sighed, but there was no bite to his tone anymore, no defense in his words, "Worryin' about things that nobody cares about."

"I am sorry you were left wanting. They would not release me, said it was not time with the choice I had made."

"It's alright, stupid, now stop talkin' and let me take care o' you."

"I missed you." she soothed, and she rested her head in his palm, seeking out its warmth. "I missed you as flames miss the coals that keep them warm and ever burning."

He grit his teeth, and the words came tumbling before he could stop them, before he had any will to catch his tongue in his teeth.

"I missed you, too."

~~0~~

It had been a week since she had returned, and to be able to see again, to feel, to hear and smell and move was so incredibly _foreign_. Kikyou had genuinely believed she would go insane in that darkness, where nothing was real but herself, and when she was not clawing for escape, she could only sleep.

It startled her, how she had never died, never starved. The jewel had kept her just alive enough that she couldn't perish within it, and when it had drained all strength from her she had simply laid down, and sleep took her. Dreams were the only existence she knew then, and while almost none were brimming with joy, they were always of him. At times, she could hear him talking, she swore, in a room so empty the walls echoed, and he asked in hushed tones and a gravely voice "Come back to me."

It was those dreams she hated the most, because she could never find him.

Other times she dreamed of him in the thick of night, telling her of his day and of his life, telling her of a house he built with his hands, of windows and sunshine and soft beds, and how he wanted to show her. His voice told of beautiful shrines and burning sage, of candles that kept it bright, so very bright and how he wondered if she would like such a thing.

It was nothing less than alarming when she awoke to find that all of these things that she had heard in that void had been true.

Her arrival had been met with joy, and her friends were there, Nariko in tow, spending their time tirelessly nursing her back to health. Kikyou was on the brink of starvation when they found her, and so it had become Hyousuke's goal to stuff her until she popped, the noble constantly in the kitchen with some new recipe, and the rest of her little group of friends seemed to hold the same sentiment, working around her like bees to a hive.

She sat now in InuYasha's bedroom, which was framed with the wood of magnolias, in a bed he had earned from working with the slayers. Leaned against the wall, she had been startled at the soft, plush feel of the futon, and the lanterns that hung from the ceiling were decorated with bell flowers. It was a strange feeling, looking about, to note that this house was an odd reflection of himself, yet decorated with things of her. The scent of lavender and sweet almonds hung in the air, and it was odd to think that this place was home.

"If I eat another dumpling, I may very well pop, InuYasha." Sighing, she glanced at him as he extended a hand, yet another bite of food dangling from his chop sticks. With a groan he sneered at her, popping the morsel into his mouth before setting the bowl aside.

"We gotta fatten you up, Kikyou. You look like a ghoul." he bit out, and she rolled her eyes, nearly sick from all she'd eaten, even if it had only been a few bites.

"Such flattering words you grace me with."

"I ain't lookin' to flatter you, I'm tryin' to make you better!" he spat, crossing his arms, bristling at the notion that he cared what she _looked_ like, and irritated that clearly, she thought he'd care about something like that at a time like _this_.

"I am so ready to bathe," she sighed, "I do not recall a time of ever being so filthy. I must smell abhorrent." she groaned.

"Ain't nobody worried about the way you smell."

"I do not smell to you?"

"Tell you what, you eat some more o' this, and I'll get you in a bath, alright?" He bargained, and then the bowl came again, and another dumpling was shoved before her face.

"Fine," she sighed, and he was feeding her once more.

"Is she drinking enough water?" Hisashi chimed, leaned against the door frame.

"Yes," Kikyou quipped, tired of being spoken of as if she wasn't in the room. The group popped in and out _relentlessly_.

"I'm tryin'," InuYasha groaned.

"Her skin is still papery, she's dehydrated."

The look she gave them could have leveled mountains, and Hisashi slunk away. "I'll be back with some tea, then."

"How long was I gone, InuYasha?" she asked softly.

"Three years," he replied, and he shook the dumpling before her lips. With a wince she took another bite, chewing slowly. Rolling over the concept of _three years_ being gone, she looked down.

"I wonder why it kept me so long," she wondered, looking to him again.

"Stop worryin' about it right now, just eat the damn food. We can talk about it when you don't look like you're gonna fall apart."

With an sigh, she looked him over, and his worry was sewn into his every gesture, and the miko accepted defeat. Opening her mouth, she let him feed her.

She swore that he watched her chew every bite, as if documenting the countless twitches of the muscles in her jaw to assure himself the food was actually _hitting_ her stomach.

~~0~~

Hyousuke leaned against the vanity in the bedroom, swiping the thin layer of dust from the surface. It was made of sturdy mahogany, engraved on the surface with beautiful etchings of a forest scene, a waterfall tumbling down the middle. The mirror that sat on top of it was much too lavish for someone like InuYasha, and truthfully, Hyousuke was surprised he had even bought and installed it- such things were expensive, at best. Yet now, it was decorated with Kikyou's things, scattered with oils, combs, ribbons for raven locks, safflower stains for pouted lips- all gifts that Inuyasha had sworn would one day be for her, but Hyousuke knew that had been InuYasha's own reassurance in the dark- a quiet spark of hope that said _"If I just keep preparing, it will happen, it will, she will return."_

Hyousuke had missed her, surely, but InuYasha had sent him into worry that was more like an illness. Sick and twisting in his gut as he watched the hanyou build a life around the _chance_ that a time-spun miko would return.

 _He had only known her a week when she vanished,_ Hyousuke thought.

The noble wasn't sure if he should find such commitment endearing, or startling and unhealthy, but she was back now, nestled into his shoulder upon a bed that had looked alarmingly cold and vacant all the times that Hyousuke had watched InuYasha lay upon it.

"So you say the miko- Midoriko, you said?- she said _'he'_ was coming?" Chestnut curls tumbled over toned shoulders as the noble turned to face them now, frowning.

Inuyasha fussed with the blanket that sat over Kikyou's knees, yanking it further up her thigh before honeyed eyes flicked back to Hyousuke. "Yeah. I just dunno who she was talkin' about."

Kikyou frowned, chewing her lip as she looked between the two. "Whoever the jewel has chosen to be my fate." she sighed.

"What does that mean?" the two boys turned with quirked brows and worried faces.

"It means it has found another to take the place of Magatsuhi." she breathed, "It means there is another who will take me at all costs."

InuYasha went pale, and Hyousuke noted the way his fingers twitched and rushed up to Kikyou's shoulder, pulling her closer to him, as if to protect her from the _nothing_ and _everything_ around them.

"What sort of person are we looking for? I can start scattering scouts," Hyousuke breathed.

"One so selfish and consumed in his own lust for power that it would drive him mad in his attempts to achieve it... and to have me, as well."

Hyousuke felt his muscles twitch and lock as his knuckles went white around the edge of the vanity, and he pursed his lips, looking to InuYasha."Shit," he spat, and he grit his teeth, "InuYasha, you know who that sounds like, don't you? And he just disappeared..."

"We gotta find your old man." he growled. Kikyou's eyes fluttered wide with shock, and InuYasha took her hand, squeezing delicate, chilled fingers between his own clawed digits. "I ain't losin' you again."

"None of us are." came Hisashi, who stood before the door, Nariko at his side as they had listened quietly. "We're here."

Kikyou choked on a weep to see the group so loyal to her, and for the first time, the _loneliness_ that had burdened her shoulders was lifted and gone.


	8. Chapter 8

_**"Besides, if you are who you claim to be, that makes you my true queen. Therefore, you have my loyalty."**_  
 _ **― Marissa Meyer, Scarlet**_

* * *

Kikyou looked out over the horizon with a quiet resolve, fingers curling around her bow as she gazed into the night. The stars shone above her, glinting and bright over the shadowed tree line that framed the field.

"It would be war," they'd whispered, "To take on the kokujin."

"You know that's what he intends if the miko is right."

"She's always right."

They had been tracking Seiichi for a week now, scouts searching just as Hyousuke had sent word for, but so far, it was to no avail.

"You don't need to be out here. You just got your strength back."

Hisashi's voice called from behind her, and she sighed as she turned to face him. "Is InuYasha fretting over me again?"

"I don't think he ever stops, but yeah, he sent me out here to check on you. You are acting really distant, though, Kikyou.

She let out a muffled sigh as her gaze cast down to the grass, shoulders heaving. "I feel distant," she confided, "To be here again, while it only seemed like weeks to me in that dream like state, I was gone for quite a while. It seems I have a tendency for disappearing and reappearing within existence. It is difficult to cope with the idea that my existence is eternal, yet fleeting, as of late."

"I can't imagine what that feels like," he sighed, "But wandering off and standing by your lonesome isn't going to make you feel any more reacquainted with reality. InuYasha's made you some dango, anyway. Hyousuke and Nariko taught him to cook while you were gone. He still burns most things," he chuckled and mumbled something about that being the reason Hyousuke had stuck to cooking during her recovery, "But he's excited for you to come try it."

"I am afraid hunger has not found me as of yet." Looking back to him, the sadness that lingered in her mahogany gaze caused Hisashi to slump and groan.

"Look, you're sad, you've been through hell, I understand, but... come eat," he pushed, stepping closer to her. "I know none of us can really relate, but we do care, and standing out here staring at the forest is just going to make how you feel worse."

"I spent many nights contemplating things by my lonesome," she sighed. "It is of no cause for alarm. Old habits, I suppose."

Crossing his arms, the ronin gave her an irritated look. "I didn't ask for reasons. Now come back, or I'll carry you back myself."

"You wouldn't dare," she glared, brows knitting.

"No, but I can call InuYasha. Even if you smack him with that bow, it won't hurt him as much as it would me. Now c'mon."

Accepting defeat, she pinched the bridge of her nose, following Hisashi back. "He understands I am a warrior, does he not? I will not break so easily."

"Kikyou, you could be made of steel and spit fire, and he would still worry someone might scratch your metal rear."

"I could kill most things with a touch," she sighed, looking back to the taijiya village as they approached the gate.

"Not him, though."

"Of course not. I would let no one lay a finger upon him if my abilities allowed."

"That's why he protects you. There aren't many of us that feel that way."

Kikyou smiled, the sadness leaving her in that moment as she felt the familiar blush rise to her cheeks. "I suppose you are correct." As they stepped back into the village, she was greeted with a sight she had come to adore- a house, her home, with the soft light of lanterns shining through the windows. Upon the small porch, with its simple framework and candle-lit wooden beams, stood InuYasha. He was tucked against one of the framing supports, arms crossed and brows knit as he watched her, amber eyes brimming with a mix of frustration and concern.

"'Bout time," he muttered as she came up the stairs. As he extended a hand to her she took it gladly, smiling gently at his bristling demeanor and ruffled edges. "I finished cookin' a while ago."

"Its been maybe ten minutes," Hisashi sighed. "Don't go guilting her just because you were worried."

InuYasha cut him a seething glare, but Kikyou gave him no more time to react, leading him back into the house. Falling in behind her, they found their way to the table, InuYasha plopping down and nodding towards the seat closest to him for her to sit. Hisashi found his seat opposite InuYasha, and as Kikyou sat down in her seat, Hyousuke came lazily trotting into the room to sit opposite of her.

The table was decorated with several different foods- hot pots full of vegetables and chicken, colorful dango arrangements upon their skewers, and rice that had been seasoned and browned with small shrimp. Kikyou looked upon all of it admirably, tickled that InuYasha took the time to make such a thing for her, and when he served the portions he'd made for her, she beamed at him.

"This smells delicious," she praised, and InuYasha's lips twitched up in a smirk, boyish and uncertain.

"Well go ahead, try it." he coaxed.

Hisashi and Hyousuke grinned at each other as Kikyou took up her chop sticks and dove them into the rice, scooping a bite into her mouth. It was salty- nearly too salty- and yet something in InuYasha's innocent, wanting stare as he watched her eat was enough to make the salt on her palate fade and melt away to something edible. Swallowing, Kikyou couldn't help but laugh as he watched her. "This is wonderful, InuYasha! Marvelous indeed."

Puppy ears twitched and pricked forward as he grinned, nodding. "I've been practicing." She swore, had he had a tail, it would have thumped against the ground with glee.

"Try his *dango," Hisashi hinted, mischevious and grinning as Hyousuke reached forward to grab up one of the skewers and hand it to the miko.

With no lack of uncertainty, Kikyou took the treat, stealing a glance to InuYasha. They were pink and sweet smelling, clearly made from the usual red bean paste, with one lone green one at the top. She could smell the green tea within it. All eyes were on her then, and with a timid mouth, she took the bite.

It should have been much too sweet by most's standards, but the oddity of it was, she loved the taste of it. It was almost a shock to her tongue, yet as she chewed through it, she found herself more than ready for another one, and Hyousuke and Hisashi exchanged confused glances.

"You like it?" InuYasha asked, expectant.

"Yes!" She finally beamed.

"Told you!" InuYasha grinned, laughing at Hyousuke and Hisashi with a mocking confidence.

"He's been making it like that for months," Hisashi groaned. "If it were any sweeter, my teeth would ache, I think."

"I rather love sweets," Kikyou cooed, "And I believe they are perfect."

"Told you," InuYasha boasted, and then, with a triumphant grin, he finally dove into his own meal.

Hyousuke sighed, smiling. "As long as you're happy." grabbing his hot pot, he picked out some bok choy, wasting no more time getting to his meal.

"So," Hisashi sighed, "Should we talk strategy?"

InuYasha looked up, cheek stuffed with rice and ears twitching. "Strategy fer w'at?" he mumbled, mouth full.

"War," Hyousuke sighed, "You know my father intends to rally some form of army against us."

With a hard swallow of his mouthful of food, InuYasha rolled his eyes, sneering. "I say you just let me find him and I'll shove my hand through his chest. Simple and done."

Sighing, Hisashi shook his head. "If only it were so easy, but none of the hounds can find his scent, seeing as we waited too long... and it would appear he's deeply hidden."

"How incredibly familiar." Kikyou groaned, nibbling on a bite of chicken. "The last man that the jewel chose was much the same- ever the coward, and costantly hiding."

"Didn't you say his name was Naraku?" Hyousuke asked. "His name... quite literally meant hell?"

"Yes," she sighed, "He was once the bandit Onigumo. I chose to nurse him back to health after he was permanently paralyzed, he fell in love with me, and sold his soul to countless demons to cause InuYasha and I to betray each other and take me with the jewel."

"Sold his soul?" Hisashi balked, quirking a brow.

"Yes. It is why I needed the jewel to kill him originally. He had no true body- the only way to vanquish him was to purify and end his very soul."

"Apparently he took both of our forms," InuYasha slurped down more noodles and chewed, "Then made it look like we tried to kill each other."

"I believe we've heard that part," Hyousuke nodded.

InuYasha nodded, and went back to his hot pot, scooping his noodles into his mouth as if they may very well run away. "Yeah, was kinda dumb, Kikyou."

The look she shot him made his skin crawl, and he leaned away from her, not having to look at her to know the unspoken threat she was giving him.

Hyousuke and Hisashi glanced to each other with a shrug, and then continued on, "So, then we've established that Seiichi is likely going to stay in hiding and gather an army. What sort of people should we be looking for?"

"People who are greedy, and have little moral standing. Likely thieves, perhaps some lesser demons."

"So... we're looking for bandits and such, correct?" Hisashi sighed.

"Most likely." She nodded.

"I suppose I'll have to help with that, then. I know a few people who can ask around." The look on Hisashi's face was hesitant and irritated, but he nodded to himself, as if he needed his own convincing.

Hyousuke frowned. "I guess it would be our best shot..."

"Alright, its settled then. Hisashi can start talking to his old samurai connections, and Hyousuke's scouts can keep looking. Nariko's already got her taijiya out looking, too." Inuyasha nodded.

"What of me?" Kikyou asked softly.

"We're still trying to get some meat on your bones. For now, you stay here and build your strength back up. Train with your bow and such." Hyousuke smiled, and Kikyou nodded with an irritated sigh.

"Very well."

Dinner proceeded with idle chatter among friends, and when bellies were full and yawns began to emerge among the group, they cleaned the dishes before Hyousuke and Hisashi took their leave. "We'll stay at Nariko's tonight. We'll have more than a bed roll, and my back has been screaming against your hard woods the last few nights."

InuYasha nodded, waving them off. "Alright, whatever. Kikyou's doing better, so we don't have to be over her during the night anyway."

The two men nodded and headed out, disappearing into the night. InuYasha stretched and cracked his neck, looking to Kikyou with something like boredom, scratching the back of his head. "Guess you wanna go to bed too, huh?" She watched him with eyes that gleamed with interest now that Hyousuke and Hisashi were gone, and he looked over himself, wondering if he had food on his haori.

"Not as of yet, no." she breathed, stepping closer to him, and InuYasha blinked.

"Whatta you wanna do, then?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"This is the first time we have been alone since my return," she hinted, clever brow raising. InuYasha's face went red as a radish, and he fumbled over his own tongue, scratching his nose.

"I- what?" he babbled, looking to her. "You implyin' somethin'?"

"What do you think, InuYasha?" her voice was more like a purr, and he had to swallow down a new found embarrassment. Her hands came up to his cheeks, fingertips feathery and light in their touch as she brushed his long, moonlight locks from his shoulders, finding the place where human ears should have been. "I have longed to be your arms." she cooed, smiling. With slow motions, she drew circles upon the soft, unguarded flesh, and the hanyou felt his stomach twist and curl with anticipation.

With all the hustle and bustle of Kikyou's tentative nursing, they had found themselves lacking in any alone time. InuYasha had noticed that the more she improved, the more she seemed to curl into him in the night, dancing her fingers along his skin and showering his shoulders in tender kisses. As the days went on she would bristle when their friends would announce they planned to stay another night, pouty and huffing as she made her way to the bed. InuYasha hadn't understood why she seemed so irritated those evenings... until now.

"We- I mean, we sleep in the same bed every night, Kikyou." He gulped, hating the quiver of his own voice and how foolish he sounded. Entire body lit with fever at her touch, he licked his lips as the miko pet him down. Her hands found the back of his head, and gentle nails came across his scalp, making him shiver at the sensation and hairs stand on end.

"I am more than aware of how we sleep, beloved. I am not looking to sleep on this evening, though." She was smirking now, feathery lashes heavy as she watched him through hungry eyes, and he found himself entirely forgetting how to use his own hands as he sat them on her hips. She leaned into his touch, and the heat of her skin beneath his clawed digits was all foreign and new with the way she responded to his inching movements.

"You have spent so much time worrying over me, but I believe it is my time to take care of you," she mused. InuYasha exhaled as if his heart meant to leap out of him, and he leaned in, hardly and inch from her mouth. Kikyou's hot breath spilled out over his face,and he found he itched to taste her.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," he mumbled, but she seemed to only find him all the more endearing, her lips finding his in an instant.

It was like relief, Kikyou thought, to finally touch him so intimately. The room in which they stood seemed to fall away, the table at which they'd just eaten more like a figment of her dreams, and she pressed into him. Her fingers locked into his hair as she teased his lips with her teeth, slick tongue grazing across his fangs before he finally took the hint, his mouth opening and lips moving against hers as he gave back her mouth's affection.

His head seemed to spark and fizz like static as she took him, those feminine digits of hers finding his ears just as they had before, and against the best of his will he groaned into her, lost in what she had to offer. His clumsy hands suddenly found purpose, roaming her back and shoulders, pulling her against him with a heated urgency. InuYasha would have been lying if he said he hadn't thought of this, thought of her in his arms, time and time again in her absence. The fire she set in his bones had been something so uncanny, yet as the years passed, he had come to understand this sensation as undeniable attraction. The hanyou had considered humans such hateful bastards for so long, he had never thought of truly wanting to touch one, wanting to hold one as he did her, and yet now he grabbed and stroked her body like she may very well melt away.

Kikyou's hands left his hair then and went to his chest, pushing away his haori and under robe to expose the flesh beneath. Her lips left his and trailed down his jaw, his throat, his chest, teeth grazing gently against his skin, and InuYasha went weak at the sensation. She was backing him against the wall as she did so, hands planted firmly against his chest, leading him with patient feet. When his shoulders met the wall, he was surprised to find her tender palm behind his head, preventing his skull from hitting the sturdy wood behind him. She gripped gently at the roots of his hair, her sultry coo dancing across his chest as she reveled in the taste of his skin.

Clawed hands came up to find her face then, cupping her jaw as she leaned against him, body flush with his, and he kissed her again. Kikyou tugged at his obi and pulled it away, his hakama falling to the floor with the sound of crumpled, heavy fabric. InuYasha's composure fell away as he kissed her, as if he wished to devour her, exploring the realm of her tongue with a sweet vigor. Haori hanging open, then, the miko's hands found his stomach and trailed below his belly, toying with the albino curls that framed his groin. InuYasha's breath hitched, eyes firing open, and he looked at her in curious surprise.

"I need you," she breathed, and he could hear her heart hammering in her chest, could smell the sudden change in her scent that was thick with pheromones and adrenaline. Kikyou's palm slid down over his shaft, the hanyou feeling his cock twitch in response, and when she gripped and stroked, he found himself panting. "InuYasha," she cooed, and his ears pinned back at the heavy sound of her voice, bell-like and hot.

Kikyou grinned at the sight of him, to see him so lost beneath her touch, and with her free hand, pulled his hand up to her chest. Pressing his palm against her breast, she watched as his face flashed between confusion and want as she continued to stroke him, and when he finally brought up another hand to cup both her breasts, InuYasha looked to her for direction.

"Undress me," she pleaded softly, and he wasted no time with her demand. His hands dove beneath her clothing, pushing the fabric gone and away from her shoulders, leaving her exposed to him. InuYasha watched as she arched up against him, beckoning him to her chest, and when he finally ran a hot tongue over one of her perked nipples, the sigh that left her as she bit her lip sent him reeling.

Letting his tongue and fangs tease the nub there as she gasped and squirmed, confidence finally found him, and his hands went tugging at her obi and hakama, pulling the fabric away from her body. Gripping her wrist, he stopped her wandering hands, moving her back and away from him as he shrugged away his haori. At the sight of his bear top half, he watched a tick work in her jaw as she took in the sight of him, lustful and desperate to touch him all the more. With a heated gaze he came to her again, picking her up and setting her on his hips. Her legs wrapped around him, and his cock throbbed at the tease of being so close to her center without actually being within her.

InuYasha could smell her now, the slick wetness between her thighs, and something in her earthy, sweet scent made him nearly purr. It didn't matter that he had never caught this scent on her before, every bit of his core flexed in response to the pheromones that engulfed him, and despite his inner uncertainty, he now only wanted to satisfy this urgent need he'd brought upon her.

"Take me to the bed," she begged, and he did as he was told, walking to the bedroom, and he watched as she pulled away the remainder of her clothing and released her long, raven locks from their ribbon. With one hand on her rounded ass and the other behind her neck, he tumbled onto the futon with her, holding her against him before setting her down gently upon the mattress. To his surprise, she urged him to roll with her then, until she was on top. Kikyou let out a soft moan at the sight of him laid out beneath her, and InuYasha's cheeks flushed. Her vagina sat over his cock, slick folds rubbing against his shaft in a torturous display, and the hanyou was lost.

"Put your thumb here," she urged, and she led his hand to her clit, positioning the pad of his thumb over the tender bundle of nerves. She gasped at the sensation when fingertip met her slick hood, before urging him on, teaching him to move it in circles. InuYasha watched in awe as he continued on with his smooth rhythm, and her thighs shook around him. Kikyou's cheeks flushed and her face twisted into pleasure, head falling back as she rolled her hips against him, and with all that was in him, he couldn't take the need he had for her anymore as she writhed on top of him.

"InuYasha, take me, beloved." she mewled, eyes glancing down to meet his as she fought her head not to roll, and his self control crumbled to dust.

Arching his hips back and up, he managed to slide within her, slow and patient, and the sensation was nearly overwhelming. The hot, slick, throbbing feel of her walls around him was nothing he had ever felt, the feel of her engulfing him sending his eyes falling to the back of his head. His hips thrust against hers instinctively as she rolled against him, slow and teasing as he felt her center stretch and clench with her movements. She panted and mewled in time with his thrusts, and soon, his other hand came and found her hip. Kikyou looked down at him with a look so hot he swore it should have set him alight, and she ground her hips into him, quickening her pace.

He kept his thumb in time with their thrusts, and soon, he felt himself about to burst, all composure was lost. Rolling his head back, he groaned in pleasure as she rode him relentlessly, and when he felt her clinch around his cock and listened to her escalating moans, he was nearly gone. She leaned over him suddenly, trembling and frozen in orgasm, and her mouth met his, moaning into him to muffle the cries of her own pleasure.

Unable to hold back any longer he pounded into her, holding her waist and thrusting her down onto him, and he finally felt himself cum, spilling into her. Arms wrapping around her in desperation, he bucked against her as he rode out the throws of their orgasms, and when all finally became still, he held her as she laid against him.

"You never fail to impress," she cooed, lining his cheek with tender kisses.

"Shaddup, you did all the work." he huffed with a smirk, looking up to her and brushing the bangs from her face.

"I take it you enjoyed yourself?" she teased, and he rolled his eyes, grinning mischievously.

"Nah, wouldn't do it again," he joked, but his panting breaths told a different story, and when she ran her fingertips over his skin, he shivered with anticipation. "Careful, you're gonna get me all worked up again," he breathed.

"And pray tell, who ever said that wasn't my intention?"

InuYasha bit his lip as he rolled her onto her back, nuzzling his face down into her neck before nipping at the tender flesh with gentle fangs. "Not yet," he mumbled, looking up to her.

"Is... something the matter?" she asked softly, swiping away the hair that covered his face, feeling his forehead slick with the mist of sweat.

"Why?" he asked softly, looking over her face, expression falling sullen. "Why me?"

"I'm not positive what you mean," she asked softly, and she licked her lips as he leaned into her palm.

"You could have anyone, Kikyou, and yet here you are, underneath... me." Golden eyes cast away then, and the miko cupped his jaw.

"Because, I love you."

He still refused to meet her gaze, and as he felt her shift beneath him, sweaty and slick with the mess of their affections, he sighed. "That's not what I mean," he grit. "I can't think this is helping your purity with what I am. I can't think that anything I do is helping you with what I am."

"And what are you?" she asked gently, finger tips dancing across his cheek.

"A hanyou," he bit, and he nearly pulled away from her, but she caught him in her arms, pulling him down and against her.

"You are man." she said softly, his head resting on her breast.

"Its more than that," he growled. "Midoriko said I... tainted you."

"Midoriko is a fool," Kikyou sighed, "For she has her own tainted soul."

"How are you not repulsed by me?" he finally blurted, puppy ears falling back. His muscles went rigid, and Kikyou finally came to understand his true question.

"You mean, why do I accept you." Sitting up, she urged him to sit with her, and soon they were before each other in their barest forms, messy and muddled in the mix of each other. "You're beautiful," she mused, but he seemed to flinch away from her, and she could hear his teeth gritting. "InuYasha, I mean it," her hands caught his face, forcing him to meet her gaze. "You're beautiful to me."

"What about me?" he grit.

"Your eyes, the color of the sun, so stern when you look upon the world," she spoke softly, and a gentle thumb came up to trace his eye lashes. "Your hair, with its moonlight locks." and then she was touching his messy mane, too. "Your lips, with those precious fangs that come peeking when you're angry." and she was kissing his mouth. "Your hands, that protect me so diligently, and your claws, that avoid my flesh with such a soft precision," and she was kissing the pads of his fingers, running his other hand through her hair. "And your ears, so expressive, and ever betraying to how you truly feel." she smiled then, leaning up to kiss the fur-lined flesh. "I love all that you are, InuYasha."

Emotion moved over him in waves, and Kikyou bit her lip, holding his hand in her own against her cheek. "I love that you are a hanyou." she spoke, but when he met her gaze one final time, he could tell she meant her words, and it was that sincerity that sent his walls to destruction.

With clumsy arms and a pounding heart, he pulled her into his lap, holding her tighter than was comfortable, as if clinging to her proclamation. Burying his face in her hair, he hid from her, from himself, the onslaught of joy and sadness and so many things he'd felt too much for him to ever willingly show.

"Thank you." came his trembling tone, and Kikyou curled into him, arms holding what parts of him she could with him wrapped around her.

* * *

Morning came with no small amount of griping, InuYasha and Kikyou both irritated at the sound of knocking at their door.

"What do you want?" InuYasha groaned, rolling onto his back in the futon. Looking to the sliding door that led out to the small koi pond he'd made, the soft light of the morning was diffused within the rice paper shade that sat within the traitorous opening. The soft sounds of trickling water could be heard from the pond, and while it should have soothed them, it was only all the more reminder that the day had begun. Kikyou threw an arm over her eyes, sighing irritably.

"I have breakfast and tea." Nariko called, voice impish and patient.

"I'll go," Kikyou sighed, getting to her feet. "If Nariko comes to our door at such an hour, it must be important."

"There better be a youkai bangin' on the wall," InuYasha growled, throwing Kikyou's pillow over his face.

"Can I come in?" the taijiya begged, and Kikyou sighed, going to her dresser and retrieving one of the yukata that Hyousuke had ordered in for her. The noble had rambled on that she needed not to think of her duty so consistently and act like a woman as she pleased, lest she lose her sanity over time and become weighed down and bitter. Much to her irritation, she couldn't disagree with him. Plucking one from the drawer, she put it on , shrugging it over her shoulders and tying it down neatly with an obi before stealing a glance at herself in the mirror. It was a soft blue, decorated with white flowers that fell across the collar and hem of the sleeves, and the golden obi accented it well.

Her hair was all a mess, and she fussed with it a moment before finally giving up. Last nights events had left her disheveled and aching, at best, if not satisfied. Nariko hummed softly at the door, and Kikyou opened the bedroom screen, finally looking out across her tatami room. "You may enter, Nariko." she called.

The taijiya opened the front door, tea pot swinging in one hand and a *bento box in the other as she attempted to gracefully maneuver through the house. Kikyou closed the door behind her and crossed the floor, hearing InuYasha growl and moan beneath the thick quilt of their futon. "Still not a morning person?" the taijiya joked, and Kikyou shrugged, smiling.

"I don't believe either of us ever will be." she sighed, taking the bento box from the slayer and setting it down upon the table. Nariko sat down the tea pot as well, settling down on a cushion.

"Hyousuke and Hisashi are still asleep, but I have good news," she hummed, pulling the top from the box. Pickled vegetables, rice balls, and jerky were ordered neatly within, and she retrieved her chop sticks from the side. Kikyou took the time to gather up tea cups and InuYasha's chop sticks as well as her own, expecting him to emerge soon. "Someone seems to have spotted the Fujiwara lord."

Taking her seat, the miko tossed her hair away from her shoulders before placing the cups down before the two of them. "Do tell," she urged, pouring them both some tea. Kikyou was more than ready for the promised caffeine within the steaming pot.

"The news is bad and good. He and a group of bandits attacked a village not too far from here. Apparently, he is looking for someone." Taking a bite of pickled vegetables, she looked to Kikyou, expectant.

"Is he searching for me?" sighing, Kikyou sipped at her tea, and the welcome sound of InuYasha rummaging through the bedroom could be heard.

"Actually... he wasn't, this time." With a pause, Nariko sipped at her cup. "He was looking for a man."

Brows knitting, Kikyou looked back to the door as InuYasha came padding behind her. It seemed he'd managed to put on his hakama, but nothing else, tanned chest smooth in the morning light. His hair was even more unruly than usual, and Kikyou sighed, staring him down with a dull gaze. "I take it asking you to make yourself decent is out of the question?"

"I'll get decent when its a decent hour," he grit, looking to Nariko. His nostrils flared as he smelled the food, puppy ears perking forward, and he plopped down at the table, retrieving a rice ball. "So, who's this man he's looking for?"

"A samurai. One of legend, really."

"Okay? What's so important about him?" chewing through his food, Kikyou only sipped her tea, listening patiently.

"He is a vicious killer, first and foremost. He and his band of wayward samurai make point to loot and pillage with such aggression than even simple bandits fear him. He has no lord, and he is cruel to any and all."

"What is his name?" Kikyou wondered.

"No one knows, but he's referred to as Akuma no Ken..." Nariko looked to InuYasha, who suddenly paused and balked at her before swallowing down the his half-chewed jerky.

"You mean Hisashi's old master? The Devil Sword?"

With a sigh, Nariko nodded, pushing her chopsticks away. "Yes. He's either a fool or a genius, because if he can gain his alliance, it won't be long before he can wreak havoc... but if not, the samurai will likely kill him for us."

"Akuma no Ken?" Kikyou looked between to two, confused. "He is named after the ancient fire demon?"

Nariko nodded. "It is believed he may very well have stolen the blade from Akuma himself, though it is likely an old wives tale. They say his blade burns fiery hot when he decapitates his victims, and sets fire to his surroundings upon command."

Kikyou frowned, looking to InuYasha. "And this man was... Hisashi's old master?"

InuYasha nodded, taking a drink of his tea. "Yeah. Apparently, Hisashi thinks the old man was possessed by the sword. He said he wasn't nearly as messed up and twisted until he got ahold of it."

Nariko blinked, quirking a brow. "Hisashi has seen the blade?"

"Yup, its why he left. He started tearing through villages for fun... sometimes he didn't even loot his kills."

Kikyou sat down her cup, sighing heavily. "I see now why you came to us first with this information. Hisashi will likely shake in his shoes... poor man."

"Yes. At the very least, now that we know the Kokujin's intentions, Hisashi won't have to go alone to gather information. We can all simply go together."

Quirking a brow, Kikyou looked to Nariko. "You intend to come with us?"

Shrugging, Nariko sighed. "Its safe to assume you will need my alliance when the time comes if he is banding an army. I would at least like to be able to tell my people exactly what we should expect, come the time."

"Well, your husband can take care of things while you're gone, anyway." InuYasha went to take the last of the rice balls, having eaten most of them, and Kikyou popped his hand gently.

"Take something else. I would like one, eventually." Looking to Nariko, Kikyou sighed as InuYasha sulked, going for a pickled radish instead. "Would he be alright with that? The two of you are still newly weds, I cannot see him being so willing to part from your side."

"I suppose he'll have to be. I know what we have at our disposal to fight with, but if none of the taijiya are there to witness what he's capable of, it won't be of much use."

"Why not just send one of the villagers?" Kikyou wondered.

"Most of them have children, or are children. I have yet to bear a child, so I feel it would be best if I go. If something happens to me, there will be no children to leave motherless."

InuYasha bristled at her words, clearly perturbed at the idea. "Ain't nothin' gonna happen to you if you come with us."

"Do not make promises you can't keep," Nariko smiled. "We're going on a wild chase for Akuma no Ken. I can't imagine much of life will be easy."

Kikyou frowned, shoulders weighted with worry. "I know you are more than capable, I simply... your marriage is so new. It seems unfair."

"So is yours," Nariko teased.

InuYasha and Kikyou looked at each other as if they'd seen a ghost, cheeks shining red. "What marriage?" he barked.

"I- I haven't the faintest-" Kikyou prattled, fumbling.

"Neither of you are stupid, so stop acting like it." Standing up, Nariko retrieved her chopsticks and smoothed her skirt. "Everyone knows a man does not build a woman a house without the intention of living within it at her side."

"That doesn't mean we're married!" InuYasha bit. "That doesn't mean we're anything!"

Kikyou shot him a glare like an arrow fired, and he slunk away, ears flat. As she looked back to Nariko, Kikyou cleared her throat. "InuYasha is not aware of human customs," she told, looking for an excuse.

"He's been living among us for three years. Believe what you will, but he is more than aware. Denial is bliss, though."

"I promised I would give her a home and keep her at my side." he growled out, pouting and frazzled.

"I have heard of lesser promises that were considered engagements."

Kikyou buried her face in her palm. "Nariko, breakfast was a delight, but I believe I have to go and bathe now. Could you excuse us for the time?" Though her request was polite, the embarrassed whine of her tone didn't go missing.

"I'll see you in a few hours, then. I have to go wake Hyousuke and Hisashi."

"Then go!" InuYasha growled, and Kikyou smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

"I believe you and I need to have a conversation," she pleaded, her whiskey eyes hard and impatient.

"About what?" he mumbled, and she stood, pacing back towards the bedroom and out to the small garden. Nariko giggled as she left, motioning for him to follow, and InuYasha wondered if he got any more hot, if he would simply explode with anger and shame. Getting to his feet, he toddled after her, finding her standing on the stones that led to the the koi pond. "Kikyou?" he mumbled, scratching at his nose.

"So you are aware of human marriage traditions, then?" she asked, sighing.

"Well... yeah. I mean, I've seen and heard a few."

"And marriage was not your intention when you built all of this for me?"

InuYasha crossed his arms, defensive. "I made you a promise. I ain't gonna explain myself, Kikyou. I don't understand what the big deal is, anyway."

"What is marriage to you?" She asked softly, turning to look to him. Her messy hair tossed in the morning breeze, the sunlight casting down on her tired face, accenting her pursed lips and creasing brows. Yet despite the "imperfections" he should have found in her image, there wasn't one- she was simply his Kikyou.

"I... I dunno." Her expression caught him off guard, she wasn't angry- she was concerned. "I guess all that lovey dovey crap you humans do. The flowers, the courting, the tip toeing around each other to get someone to like you. Annoying dinners with parents and trying to buy gifts..."

"No," she sighed softly. "That is infatuation. That is what young lovers do."

"Then..," he paused, stepping closer to her, "What's marriage to you?"

Looking down, she smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. "A promise," she mused.

Blinking, he tilted his head, confused. "What kinda promise?"

"To stay by the other's side through hardship, through failure, and through pain. It is a promise of loyalty and devotion. A promise to compromise and endure in the worst of times, and to praise and adore in the best of times."

InuYasha stood silently, fingers twitching with anxiety. He was lost.

"True love is not an emotion, InuYasha. It is a commitment." She looked to him then, and her eyes shone in the sunlight, bright and glinting and meaningful. "It is a promise I made to you many, many years ago."

With a heaving sigh, InuYasha walked closer to her then, and she watched him. "So its kinda like what... What I've already said." he stated, gritting his teeth, nervous. He brought his hand up to her arm then, stroking the fabric over it gently.

"Yes." she answered softly. "Do not be mistaken, I did not take this as a token of engagement. I simply did not want you to misunderstand my intentions."

"What intentions?" he asked, swallowing down the heart in his throat as he met her gaze.

"That I intend to keep you by my side forever, as well."

The look in her eyes wrecked him then, because the meaning in that look- the promise that they provided, to alleviate his loneliness, to be loved- was more than he had words to respond to. Grabbing her waist, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. His voice was a whisper against her ear as he spoke, and had she not strained to hear them, she would have missed his words.

"Then... I'll hold you to it, Kikyou."

The stone that had become her stomach fell away to dust, and she wrapped him up in her embrace, squeezing him against her. "Do you mean that?" she asked.

"Yes."

* * *

Hisashi paced the floor as Nariko spoke, a tick working in his jaw as he grit his teeth. "You're sure that's who he's after?"

Nariko nodded, pouring a cup of sake and sliding towards Hyousuke, who's thin fingers trembled. "Quite certain."

"You understand he's been looking for me for... years, correct?"

Nariko nodded, and Hyousuke seemed to shrink even more, lips pursed. "I'm not sure what to tell you. What will he do if he finds you?"

"I know his secrets," Hisashi sighed, "So he'd probably swarm me and take me down."

"His secrets?"

Hisashi stopped his pacing, only to go to Hyousuke, who's thousand-yard stare was nearly burning a hole through the table. He pet his head with a heavy palm, and Hisashi went to answer. "Yes. I know all too well where to find him."

"Then we take him on before the kokujin finds him, I should think." Nariko poured another cup of sake, extending a hand to the ronin, and Hisashi swallowed it without pause.

"Its not that easy. He has youkai in his mix."

"All the better that I will be joining you."

Hyousuke finally perked at Nariko's words, worry denting his features. "You're coming?"

Nariko nodded, and watched as Hyousuke swallowed down his drink. "Yes. I can be prepared come morning, if need be."

Hisashi chewed at his lip, shaking his head. "Alright. Prepare to head south. His main camping ground is down off the coast... but we'll be traveling a while."

Nariko stood, sighing inwardly at the sight of the two, and left the bottle of sake upon the table. "Take however long you need to prepare. We'll all be ready when you are."

"Just... give us tonight, alright?" Hyousuke muttered, and Nariko nodded, pacing out of the guest room.

"You'll have to change your appearance," Hyousuke muttered.

"Even with that, I'm hard to mistake, Hyousuke. The only reason I haven't been found yet is... you."

"If only we could make you shorter..." Hisashi sat down beside Hyousuke, looking to him with a tender pity, cupping the noble's face in his palms.

"We'll make it work," he sighed, husky voice breaking to see his love in such despair. "I will not abandon you, Hyousuke."

Hyousuke choked back tears as he curled into the ronin's side, shoulders trembling. "You'd better not."

"He'll have to drag me to hell himself."

"I'll drag you back out, if he does."

Hisashi looked down to him then, and with soft, worried lips, he kissed his frightened lover.

* * *

"We're coming in." Hisashi called, ignoring the usual manners of entering his friends' house. Sliding open the door, it was no surprise when they found InuYasha and Kikyou sat down at the table, the miko having splayed scrolls all across the wooden finish.

"Come, sit," she called, beckoning them forward. "I take it you've heard the news?"

Hyousuke nodded, sitting next to InuYasha before peering over the mess of parchment. "Yeah, Nariko told us this morning."

"Good," she sighed, "As from what I've read in the village's scrolls, we've got our hands full with this Akuma no Ken- especially if he has the true sword."

Hisashi frowned. "I thought we told you to rest up and train. You're not coming with us, are you?"

"Do you truly believe me capable of sitting with idle hands?"

Sighing, Hisashi slumped. "Guess not. You're still so thin, though."

With a slicing glare, Kikyou sighed. "I will gain back my womanly figure with time, seeing as you are concerned with such a thing."

"Its not your curves, Kikyou, its your muscles. Can you even pull back that yumi anymore?"

With a heaving sigh, Kikyou looked back down the scrolls, smoothing the wrinkles in one that was etched with paintings of Akuma. "It is unlikely. I will bring a smaller bow, none the less, and work my skills back to where they must be."

"If you say so." Hisashi sighed.

"You realize I am quite capable even without a bow, correct? I did not undergo years of training for it to be squandered by weak arms."

Hyousuke quirked a brow then, curious. "What else can you do?"

"I am certain you will learn with time," she sighed, before pointing back to the scrolls. "For now, we must take to this."

They both nodded and InuYasha slumped over the table, propping his chin up on his fist. "I say we just go in and lop his head off. Seems simple enough."

Hisashi rolled his eyes. "Don't you think someone would have done that by now if it was possible?"

"Well, you're not a youkai." InuYasha's tone was blunt, stating the obvious.

"He has youkai in is ranks, InuYasha."

Ears twitching, InuYasha sat up, tucking his hands in his sleeves. "That so?"

Clearing her throat a bit louder than was necessary, Kikyou tapped at the scrolls, giving the boys a bland stare. "If you're quite finished, I would love to tell you what I've learned thus far." All attention turned to her, and with a sigh, she continued. "It would seem that the great fire devil Akuma has disappeared, but his blade remains. It is a thing of terrible legend, and some of these scrolls claim that he may very well have possessed the sword."

Hisashi's brows furrowed. "Maybe Akuma is what possessed Tatsuo."

"What do you mean?"

"Tatsuo's band of rogue samurai were originally just... petty bandits. Its why I joined him. I had no home and nowhere to go, so I took up with him. We stole and scared people shitless, but we never did what he does now."

"How did he find the sword?"

"We took down a caravan one night, left nothing but the horses for people to run away on. They were carrying a bunch of artifacts, and one box was nearly unbreakable. Turns out, though, it couldn't quite stand up to having a boulder rolled onto it. When he opened it up, the sword was in there, but when he grabbed it, it... attacked him."

Kikyou and InuYasha leaned in, curious, and Hisashi sighed, continuing. "The thing tried to spar with him, but Tatsuo is a skilled swordsman, and was able to block the first few blows. He finally just grabbed the thing, and it burned his hand really bad. After that, he started swirling with some strange aura, and everything around him caught fire- including him, but it didn't kill him. He hasn't been the same sense, and he still carries the blade."

Sighing, Hyousuke picked at the wood of the table. "He came around, once, looking for Hisashi. The villagers were terrified, he's badly burned. If not for the safe house under the estate, I can't imagine what he would have done to him."

Nodding, Kikyou nnibbled at her lip, looking back to the scrolls. "It would certainly seem he's possessed, then. Someone must have sealed Akuma into that blade, and now... we have to find a way to kill Akuma, too."

"I just hope we get to him before my father does." Hyousuke squirmed in his seat, and Hisashi looked to him with worried eyes.

"I'm almost sure Tatsuo will kill him if he does."

"Unless he has something better to offer," Hyousuke sighed.

"Like what?" the hanyou finally spoke, eyes darting between the others.

"He'll find something." Hyousuke sighed.

Kikyou's hands couldn't help but find the Shikon no Tama between her breasts, then, squeezing it between her fingers. "Let us only pray that Hachiman* is on our side."

"Let's pray that all the kami are." Hyousuke sighed.

Inuyasha noted Kikyou's apprehensive gaze, hands gripping at her chest, and frowned. "Hyousuke, word hasn't gotten out about the jewel yet, has it?"

"No," Hyousuke huffed, running his fingers through his twisting tendrils, "But father did notice that Kikyou stole the scrolls when she was there. He was rummaging through everything, trying to find what she was looking for, and he knew she had mentioned an artifact." Charcoal eyes met Kikyou's and he frowned. "He looked for you for two years, and wouldn't believe me when I said you were gone."

"Yeah," InuYasha spat, "Even showed up here once and Nariko and I chased him off."

"You didn't tell me that!" Hyousuke swung to face the hanyou, eyes wide as saucers. "That means he may very well know something is here!"

"We didn't even let him past the gate," InuYasha groaned. "He came bangin' on the gate, lookin' for Kikyou and screamin' about something with power. All it took was him seein' me for him to back off."

"What did he say when he saw you?" Hisashi leaned in.

"He thought I was some guardian or somethin'. Like a shrine god."

Hyousuke buried his face in his hands, groaning. "Knowing my father, that was enough. Its likely why he's gathering a bigger force. He's been planning this a while."

"You think he means to attack the village?" Kikyou looked to the noble, stomach knotting at the very idea.

"Yes. Even if he doesn't find anything, he'll start here for good measure."

"How would he get this Akuma no Ken to come here too, though? I mean, if there-" InuYasha babbled.

"Tatsuo doesn't care anymore, InuYasha, he'd do it just to slaughter the village, and then Seiichi." Hisashi looked to the hanyou with an earnest fright, and InuYasha slumped.

"We should leave," Kikyou breathed, standing from the table, "We should leave soon and spread word throughout the towns that a miko has set south with a great treasure for both demon and man. One of great power."

"You're gonna be putting a target on your back!" Inuyasha growled, staring her down.

"That is precisely my intention. You will travel south with me in full miko garb, I want everyone to see me, I want to stop at every opportunity and speak with the townsfolk. Then, as rumors begin to spread, I'll go into hiding. We must move quickly."

"Kikyou," Hisashi sighed, "If they set up an ambush for us-"

Bristiling with frustration, Kikyou stepped away from InuYasha and flared her reiki in a brilliant display of power, glowering Hisashi down. "Do not underestimate, Hisashi." Reiki twirling and spinning about her, it cracked and sparked nearly like lightning, and when she turned to one of the many demonic baubles that InuYasha had collected over to years, a single twitch of her finger sent it flying in shattered pieces, before dwindling away to dust. "I was not the guardian of the Shikon no Tama for the sake of convenience."

The three men watched her in awe, lips tight in a mix of fear and amazement.

"I was the guardian because my powers know no bounds."

* * *

 **Dango-** Dango is a Japanese dumpling and sweet made from mochiko, related to mochi. It is often served with green tea. Dango is eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons

 **Hachiman-** In Japanese beliefs, **Hachiman** (八幡神 _Hachiman-jin/Yahata no kami_?) is the syncretic divinity of archery and war,[1][2][3] incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism.[4] Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors.

 **Bento** \- Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento holds rice, fish or meat, with pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container.


	9. Chapter 9

Tattered Depravity Chapter 9

Frustration and discomfort within the taijiya armory was palpable.

"Must you do that so roughly?" she breathed, cutting a glance to Nariko, who tightened the straps to Kikyou's shoulder plates. The buckles pinched into her arm. The taijiya bit her lip, glanced down, and mumbled an apology to the miko before finally deciding to be done with her work. Kikyou sighed, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to acclimate to the new weight of the armor over her body. It felt foreign and cluttered within its confines, but the pounds of armor were evenly distributed, at least. While she knew her muscles would soon ache as they adjusted, balance wouldn't be an issue.

It was an even mix, she thought, between the traditional samurai armor and the taijiya- the chest guard, leg plates, thigh guards and shoulder plates were fashioned expertly from the stony hide of a demon from the mountains that was nearly metallic in its appearance. Her traditional miko garb was tucked neatly beneath it, freeing her from the issue of swaying sleeves. Her hakama still swung freely about her legs, and she was glad she had talked Nariko into keeping the long, pleated skirt rather than leggings. The leg armor was going to be hindrance enough; the last thing she wanted was the trapped feeling of her legs in skin-tight leather.

InuYasha stood across the room from her, and if Kikyou had believed herself uncomfortable, her hanyou looked nearly like a cat dunked in water. The tight fitting leathers that Nariko had strapped him in certainly did wonders to reveal his physique- indeed, it made him look more a man than the lost boy she often thought him to be. No longer did his fire rat robe sway and billow with his movements, but had been tucked and fashioned beneath form fitting blackened leather, his gauntlets skinned anew to match. Inwardly she laughed as her eyes found his feet. As she had expected, he had refused any sort of foot covering. Instead they had bargained on a thick leather slipper that slid over his feet, leaving his toes and heel exposed, its only purpose to better secure the guards that protected his calves.

"I still don't understand why I gotta wear this garbage," he griped, groaning as he looked himself over in the mirror. "My fire rat robe is armor enough."

"For the thousandth time, InuYasha, it is for appearance. For Kikyou's plan to work, you must look like a figure of authority, and not like some lost forest child." Pinching the bridge of her nose, it was clear Nariko had been sick of this conversation the first few times they'd had it, and hearing it again was salt on the wound.

"Forest child?" he growled, ears pinning back. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Like your hair hasn't seen a comb in ages, and your clothes have never quite seen a wash." Hyousuke chimed, leaned against the back wall, making point to pick at his nails rather than look up.

"I bathe just like everybody else!" His arms crossed, and if looks could kill, InuYasha's golden gaze would have felled an army.

"No one's saying you're dirty, InuYasha, just… not exactly maintained." The taijiya's tone was soft, sensing the bubbling insecurity just waiting to boil over.

"I ain't ever cared what other people thought," he spat, eyes darting to the ceiling. Kikyou stepped in, offering a comforting hand upon his shoulder, causing him to shrug away. When he saw her dejected expression, he huffed in complaint.

"Your look suits you," she said, tone sweet and sincere, "But for this, we mustn't look like ourselves. I do not wish to wear this heavy armor and the twinkling adornments I soon will, but I must. It is not for the benefit of others. It is for the benefit of our task."

Tension draining from his shoulders, he sighed deeply, looking her over. "This is really gonna help?" he mumbled.

She hummed in agreement and gave a nod, going to grab her comb and oils. "I think it wise we tend to your messy mane first, if you'll allow it."

"Whatever." he sighed, accepting defeat. Turning his back to her, he allowed her to seize his wild locks, and soon enough, Nariko and Hyousuke began giving their efforts too. "Easy around the ears." He groaned as gentle fingers wrestled within his tangles.

By the time they set out it was late afternoon. Packing had been less than entertaining, and Hisashi and Nariko had seemed determined to drive themselves mad with double, triple, and quadruple checking to make sure that they had enough food, arrows, bed rolls, water, and flint and tinder. Personal belongings were sparse, but bundled, and packed neatly onto one of the six horses they intended to bring.

"Do we have the map?" Nariko wondered, picking over her horse once again.

"Yes," chimed the group, their tones monotonous and more than eager to leave.

"And the-" She was stopped by the outward groan of Hyousuke, who buried his face in his hands.

"By the gods, Nariko, we have it. All of it. I assure you, we have checked and checked again. It's all here."

"Alright," she finally sighed, looking back towards her home. Her husband stood before the entryway, arms crossed and gaze knitted with concern. Nariko paused at the sight of him, and the group exchanged a pitying glance as she made her way toward him with hurried feet.

"I'll be back soon." She comforted, leaning her head onto his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her and she felt the sigh heave from his lungs as he squeezed.

"I believe in you." He spoke, petting her hair before finally breaking away. Nariko smiled, a hand going to his cheek, thumb stroking his skin.

They had not married for love, as most had expected her to with as long as she had waited to wed. She was twenty six now, and most had anticipated a long-awaited lover to one day emerge and take her. Yet such a man had never come, and to the surprise of most, she instead chose to marry her closest friend. He was younger than her by a few years, with a plain appearance and quiet personality, but she had trusted him most, and best of all, he made her laugh.

It came as a shock to the villagers when they had all finally asked the question that burned in their minds- why the wait, if not for a secret affair? Yet Nariko had offered little more than a shrug to their boggling expressions. Lack of interest, she had admitted, and even now, she had only wed to carry on her family's lineage. She had never been a romantic, or sought trysts in the darkened corners, as most did. Her duty was her main concern, and the frolicking of lovers was something she was entirely indifferent to.

Finally stepping away from him, she saw the love gleam over his eyes, and felt her heart break to see such an expression upon his face. Even without the "romance" most expected of a wed couple, they still had no desire to be apart from each other, and their friendship was as strong as any, fortified by love and loyalty. "Take care of yourself. I fully intend to make sure your skills are up to par upon my return."

"I'll hold you to it." He grinned.

"Farewell for now." She sighed, squeezing him once more in a tight hug before finally making her way back to the others. He slipped back into the house with one last look her way, closing the door behind him.

The group all seemed to bite their cheeks as she mounted her horse, and she rolled her eyes. "I would prefer we not act as if I'm stumbling into my grave." She complained.

"It's just sad." Hyousuke mumbled, tutting for his horse to set off at a trot.

"Why is that?"

"Because, you two have a bright future. If something happens-" Hyousuke murmured, but was abruptly cut off by InuYasha.

"Ain't nothin' gonna happen to Nariko." He bit, and his horse set off as well, Kikyou's not far behind him. "Have you seen her? She's even a match for me some days. Quit bein' dramatic."

"Most days, actually." Nariko chimed, giving him a sly grin.

"Shaddup," he growled.

"He eats dirt every time I get my hands on him." The taijiya bragged.

"Alright, enough. Let's go." Hisashi sighed, steering his horse to follow after them.

The sun hung lazily just above the horizon, and Kikyou reached up, adjusting the golden Shinto crown that seemed determined to slip off her head. "I once thought that these things must be glorious to wear, with their shimmering baubles, but I am quickly learning the true pain that accompanies beauty standards." Yet again the bellflowers that dangled from it swept into her eyes, and she twitched her neck, trying to make them swing away.

"Ah, what's it like to be so captivating?" Hisashi teased.

"Horrid." She sighed, brows knitting. "While I enjoy the simpler things, I can hardly imagine what the geishas within the city suffer through. I don't believe I will have an eye come the end of this with these decorations swinging wildly before my eyes."

"Just take it off for now." Hyousuke giggled, bringing his horse up next to hers and barely catching it as another bounce from her steed sent the crown teetering. Kikyou gave up, groaning, pulling the offending thing loose from her head and handing it to him.

"Take it." She groaned. InuYasha smirked over his shoulder, watching her, before looking down the road.

"So we're heading south-west first, right?" The hanyou wondered as he took the crown from Hyousuke and tucked it away, steering his horse to trot next to Kikyou's, who greeted him with a soft smile.

"Yes." Nariko answered, looking down over the map. "Towards the shore. I have heard rumors of two lords having a spat over trade in the Toyama area, and hopefully we can find some form of alliance in the southern-most."

"How exactly are we gonna do that?" InuYasha wondered, thick brow lifting.

"By helping him, of course." Nariko insisted.

"And what about the other one?" he griped.

"I suppose we'll have to do our best not to make him _too_ sore with us." It was clear the taijiya hadn't quite considered that, head ducking down as she worried her lip.

Hyousuke chuckled, looking over to them. "I should be able to prevent that."

"Let us hope so," Kikyou sighed. "I have no desire to go battling against yet another foe."

"We'll be fine." Hisashi soothed, waving a hand as if to dismiss the idea. "Worst case is someone's *fundoshi gets in a twist, and we all move on." Looking over to the miko, he frowned as she glanced to InuYasha, who's lip curled and eyes darted away, clearly unable to offer support.

"I suppose we will see when we get there." Kikyou finally murmured, looking out over the horizon. The sun set over a lavender sky, golden clouds dusting the edge as the darkened navy of night began to loom over. They had decided to set out at night for the first journey, seeing as this time, they carried the jewel. It sat tucked between Kikyou's breasts, beneath layers of cloth and chest plate.

Although most whispered of evil lingering in the night, truth be told, Kikyou had found more often than not that evil slept just like the rest of the world. Beginning their journey in the evening and resting in the woods was a better start than one would assume. They chattered on as the sun crept to its slumber, and as the darkness set in, they lit their lanterns, brightening the forest around them.

She wanted to be hopeful, she found, and with her companions – _gods, that concept was still settling in_ – tomorrow didn't seem so lonely and desolate. Rage no longer drove her feet across the wilderness, but instead, it was a wishful determination that kept her walking forth.

The only thing that truly gripped her heart was the thought of being trapped in the jewel again.

The others seemed unsure of what to say when she brought it up, eyes searching the room for any other topic, faces falling grim with concern. InuYasha would snap and panic, sputtering angry words and grabbing her to him. He'd pull her close and curse, saying that he wouldn't let it happen again, and shut down the very idea that she could vanish once more.

Thus, the miko often found herself alone with her thoughts of unending darkness, and even now, weeks and weeks after returning, she still could not be left alone in the dark. There was always a candle or a lantern lit by her bed, and she'd woken InuYasha with shaking and tears more nights than she had cared to admit. Unable to stand it, InuYasha had marched to the small market within the village and bought all the lanterns he could. When she had returned home from a day of gathering herbs with the children, the entire house was alight and shining, hardly a shadow cast in the darkened wood that built the home. InuYasha had stood in the doorway, glowering at her, frown tipped down and brooding before asking "What about that? You done bein' a scaredy cat now?" His fingers twitched against his crossed arms, and she saw how incredibly worried he was beneath that heated face.

The smile she had given him was touched, understanding his bitterness wasn't meant for her, and as she walked into her bedroom she stole a kiss, thanking him. He'd reddened and sneered, ears pinning back as he ushered her to the bed, ready for a peaceful sleep. It was only then, with the room filled with a single lantern's warmth and light that she slept soundly.

Understanding was something he gave her much of, even if he didn't know how to speak of it. It was clear he knew how frightened she was, knew of the shadows that still raced in the back of her mind. Aching, she had lost count of the times she had caught him staring with an embittered glare that showed his wheels turning, trying to find a way to not only save her from her own fears… but to keep it from happening again. Kikyou had learned after listening at cracked doors that the guilt from losing her had almost driven him mad, as well.

Looking out into the woodlands that surrounded them, she could only hope that it didn't happen again. She felt the bauble thrum and sway between her breasts, as if to remind her of that horrible possibility of _maybe._

Seiichi swallowed down his sake with a fist that was much too clumsy, head swimming and heavy from the copious amounts of alcohol. Demons and men alike danced around him, shrieking and wailing into the night as they drunkenly celebrated their latest kills and thieving rewards.

The kokujin watched with floating eyes, dazed and dulled as his teeth grit in his cheek. These low-lifers were a mix of everything he needed and precisely what he hated. Idiots with no real purpose, and yet they were the ones that had gained everything. The idea that he would be bargaining with their leader made something catch and lurch in his gut, like shame and anger and excitement all writhing into one monster in his belly. A hard hand finally came and jostled his shoulder, making him look up with a drooling sneer.

"Akuma will see you now." the other man drawled, hobbling off and back into the crowd before Seiichi could garble out a response. Grabbing his sword, the lord stood, making his way to the tent that was largest, loudest, and most brightly lit. As he trudged through the crowd the stench of sweat, bodily fluids and bile smothered his nose, the ground littered with the filth of demon and human alike- in their drunken stupor, it seemed they'd let loose their soured bowels and bladders wherever they stood, these wretches having no care where their waste lay upon the ground. Even the crackling fires that were laden with hogs and chicken could not mask the odor, and as he pushed past the remaining thick of the crowd, he looked up the entry way with a sickening amazement.

Smoked billowed from the vent in the top, the roaring fire casting shadows that danced against the stained inches-thick cloth, the forms of women only just captured wondering back and forth to bring the demon what he wished. The reflections of colorful baubles danced over the tapestries and the humored cackling of Akuma's right hands were heard from within. Pushing open the heavy cloth and stepping inside, he found himself frozen at the sight that met him.

Horrified women sat on their knees in their tattered clothes, heads bowed and waiting to hide tear stained cheeks, hands gripping the thick furs that covered the floor. Treasure was stacked to the ceiling with no organization, wealth upon wealth in every direction and spilling onto the unkempt floor. Guards sat lazily around, surrounded by rich foods and more alcohol than any of the men could dare drink and wish to live, and beautiful women curled under their arms.

These women were different, he noted, and not like the new found slaves- these women, with their bare bodies and thickly painted lips had no shame or fear in their eyes. In fact, their gazes seemed to strike him down in a glance, sizing him up as they lay sprawled like cats beneath their temporary partners. The loveliest were nestled under the man in the center of the room, chains and baubles dangling from their hips and breasts.

"Bow to me," the man demanded, and it was then that Seiichi was pulled from his trembling shock. Akuma sat within a throne of furs and locked chests, heavy armor grinding against itself as he sat up. His long hair was an inky black mess, and his face was marred with marks that looked more like red-stained scar tissue bulging from the flesh that framed his eyes; marbled eyes that shone all the colors of fire. Horns seemed to be cracking through his flesh and pulling back his hair line, and his sharpened teeth and gaunt features made him look serpentine and venomous. His grey, ashen skin sounded nearly like paper as he clutched his fist, slamming it down upon the arm rest of his chair.

"Bow to me!" he demanded, and Seiichi's knees were not his own and he crumbled to the floor, palms and head hitting the thick furs with more force than he intended.

"Forgive me," he begged, and the lord hated the way his own voice shook.

"State your purpose." Akuma demanded, and the string of giggles that left the concubines was offensive as the devil's own chuckle came teasing.

"I come offering an alliance." Seiichi muttered, glancing up, and felt himself finally breathe when the monstrous man quirked a brow and signaled for him to look up.

"Now, why would I want an alliance with you? What can you offer me?" Akuma questioned, and with a respect Seiichi hadn't expected he motioned for his women to leave. They stood from his lap and walked from the tent, smirking at the kokujin with haunting, knowing smiles as they padded past him and into the night.

"I am the lord of a large estate. A kokujin. I can offer you wealth, land, soldiers. I also know the location of one of your old samurai…"

The demon lord gave a bored stare. "As if I need you to give that to me. I would take it all, if I wished. It seems all you have is the location of someone I likely care little for. Who is it?"

"Hisashi." Seiichi mumbled, and Akuma stood, brows furrowing. "… Is he not your brother?"

"Where is he?" Akuma sneered.

"He was last seen with a woman. A miko who searches for a powerful artifact across the lands. She has a demon and my son in her midst. I want them all dead except the woman, but you can have the thing she's searching for."

"Why would you want the woman?" Akuma wondered, and his hand went to smooth his goatee, a tick working in his jaw.

"She's so powerful." Seiichi breathed, and he finally sat up, meeting the other's gaze. "And beautiful, like no other woman I've seen."

"So she would be unmistakable," Akuma nodded, thinking as he looked Seiichi over.

"Undoubtedly. You would know her in any crowd, even if you've never seen her. She is remarkable, with long raven hair and beauty like the moon, and the last I heard of her she was with the hidden taijiya."

The devil lord paced about on that note, smirking. "So she is with the prince of a noble house, this corpse's brother, a demon, and associated with taijiya... Openly searching for a trinket of value. They are moving targets, essentially… it is the power behind them that brings the only concern."

"Yes," Seiichi grinned. "You can have whatever she searches for, I only plead that you let me have the girl. All other spoils are yours, and I will give you anything you wish." He could hear Akuma behind him now, still and thinking, and his hopes reached out as he waited with baited breath.

The answer was never given, and the response never came as Akuma drove a spear through the back of the kokujin's head with a sickening crunch, looking to his guards with a wry grin as blood and brain coated the fur lined floors.

"Who's ready to go hunting?"

The gentle sounds of the men's snores soothed Nariko and Kikyou as they lay beneath the stars, sprawled out on their bellies as they looked over maps and scrolls. It was the second night of their traveling, and their companions had given way to tired eyes. The taijiya chewed at her fingernail as she studied over one of the newest scrolls that Kikyou had brought out, listening intently as the miko explained.

"It seems he was a dragon before a demon, living in the bellies of volcanos. His spirit was corrupted when he was forced from his home in an eruption. Once he could never return home, that caused his rage to consume him. His spirit has been tainted ever since."

"What does it say about him being bound to a sword?" she wondered, scooting closer to the miko and propping up her chin in her palm. Her feet swayed behind her, and it was child-like and entertaining how very kindred she felt to the miko in the moment.

"It seems a monk bound him ages ago. He met him on a battlefield after a slaughter of over a hundred samurai, and the monk took up one of their swords and bound him within it as punishment for his merciless killings. The monk then took it and sealed it away in a chest that he kept protected for many, many years at his shrine until his death."

Nariko frowned, sighing heavily as she shot a glance to Hisashi. "Until he and his brother found it."

"Foolishness knows no bounds, I suppose… If one cannot read sutras, the box would have simply looked like some fancy treasure." Sighing, Kikyou began rolling up one scroll as Nariko retrieved another. "Our main hope will be finding a clue in how he sealed him, so we may repeat it. I am certain I could figure it out, but knowing all I can has never failed me."

Nariko hummed in agreement, looking over to the crackling fire. "I suppose I'll make some tea and rice, then. I'll need the pick me up."

Kikyou nodded, noting the way the sky was no longer a blanket of black and twinkling stars, but was lightening into a navy blue. The sun would be up in a few hours, and she and Nariko seemed to have come to the same conclusion of sleep being too hard to gain. They had both napped a while before waking up, staring out into the forest and finally surrendering to the need to strategize. InuYasha stirred in the trees above, the branches rustling as he stretched and grumbled. "Do you want some, too?" she asked gently, and the bitter groan he gave was answer enough. "Make it three servings." Kikyou chimed, and Nariko smirked, nodding.

"How terribly awful it must be to have such sensitive ears." Beckoning for him to come down, InuYasha finally dropped down from the canopy to her side, arms folded and ears pinned back as plopped down to sit at her hip. "Have we kept you up the entire night?"

"Kinda," he griped, scratching at his nose, "But I wanna solve this as bad as you two."

Kikyou sighed, leaning against him as they both turned to watch Nariko, who fussed over settling the kettles over the fire. "But how would we do that?" she wondered.

"Well, isn't Hisashi the one that robbed them? Maybe he'd know where the sword came from. The monk's house, ya know?" InuYasha tucked his arms into his sleeves, looking bored.

"Maybe. At the very least, perhaps he can recall a family crest. It was years ago that he took it, though…" Nariko came back to sit with them, stretching her legs out in front of her as she looked to them both.

"It's a start, once we've made an alliance." Kikyou sighed.

They looked to the other two of their group, who lay curled around each other on their bed roll. Hyousuke's soft snores added to the peace that came with the sight of them, hand curled into the unbound mess that was Hisashi's long hair. It warmed the heart to see two people so content to be with one another, and it made Kikyou ache to think that she would disturb the picturesque happiness they had found within each other. "I only hope that Hisashi will run, if the time comes. Take Hyousuke and…. Disappear."

InuYasha grit his teeth, cracking his knuckles in his sleeves to fight off his nerves. "I think we all hope that. Hisashi has never been the type to cower, but this Akuma…" the hanyou's words trailed off and his gaze cast down. "We can handle a lot that comes our way, but I don't want him hangin' around if push comes to shove. They'll fire on him first, no doubt."

With a shaky sigh, Kikyou buried her face in her hands. "I have no wish to cause another such sorrow. I do not understand why they stay to begin with."

"We all have our own reasons." Nariko chimed, looking up to the miko. "You're a good person. You bring hope, but there is something much larger at stake here."

"It is not your responsibility." Hand going to her chest, Kikyou gripped the fabric, biting the inside of her cheek. "It is my duty. My fate, even."

InuYasha's hand darted from its sleeve, grasping up her hand and pulling her forward to look at him. "Stop bein' stupid. Nobody can do this alone. Just shut up, and let us help you. Quit blamin' yourself."

Kikyou's whiskey hues fell to Nariko, who reached out, putting a calloused hand on the miko's knee. The taijiya smirked and nodded. "Precisely. We're going to fix this together. Everyone is here by choice, Kikyou."

Looking down to the grass, Kikyou pursed her lips, fighting back a retort of _that's what I'm afraid of._

"Hey," InuYasha shot, tilting up her chin with a rough tip of his finger to make her look at him, "You aren't the problem here. You get that, right?"

Nariko nodded fervently, scooting closer. "The jewel is the enemy. Not you. Stop feeling guilty for having people at your side. You may have some tie to the jewel, but don't you think there may be more to the pattern? Maybe we're supposed to be here, just like you. What happened the last time you tried to defeat this thing? Didn't the jewel say someone else almost succeeded?" Kikyou nodded, and Nariko continued. "So then, were there more people?"

"People who had lost everything to the man who had it in his possession, yes." Biting her lip, she let the taijiya continue.

"We haven't lost everything, though. We can win this and walk away with less than empty hands. You and the jewel are re-writing history… maybe having friends to balance you is part of what it takes to succeed."

"Balance." Kikyou repeated, rolling the concept over in her mind.

"Stay hopeful." Nariko gave Kikyou's shoulder a firm pat, smiling.

Akuma and his scouts tread down the roads like hungry kings to their table, the hooves of their war-ready steeds pounding into the moist earth, the ground still fresh and new with morning dew. The screams of those unfortunate enough to be in their path fell on deafened ears as swords cut through flesh and bone, the demon lord's mind determined.

The taijiya village was a secret to most, but he had lived long enough to have found and experienced their wrath before being trapped within a blade. They were powerful warriors and had even managed to chase him off, but he was weak and baffled with the world in their last encounter. Now he had numbers and power, and he felt confident that he could tear their world down.

They met with a road block as the sun finally peaked above the horizon, traders bickering and slurring over proper trade routes and regulations.

"Move!" he demanded, and faces whipped around to look upon his draconic visage. Men leaped from their carriages and rolled as Akuma raised his blade, the iron igniting into flames that glowed white hot and burned like hellfire. With a stroke of the weapon he cut through carriage, man, and livestock alike, everything around him bursting into unbridled fire. Those that did escape now ran on scalding ground, wailing and screaming warnings into the forest and upwards into the town. With a cackling laugh he continued his charge. "Yes!" he called after them, maniacal and grinning, "Go and warn them! Tell them I seek Hisashi of the Tokohaji clan! Tell them I will burn down the continent to find him!"

He raised his sword again to set flame to the fresher patch of forest he charged toward, but an arrow fired him down from his horse like a canon to the chest. His back cracked against the ground as he landed, his horse tearing off towards the source. It was unlike any arrow he had ever been struck with. It seared into his flesh and his soul, and he felt strangled and caught as he writhed in pain on the ground. Light burst from his chest as he wailed and screamed, going to grab it, only to look up and see where the assault had come from.

A miko rode on the back of a demonic dog man, clad in full armor and pulling back another arrow. She aimed for his head, and in a moment he saw his death, his demise in this one wretched moment.

"Now, Kikyou!" the albino brute commanded, and Akuma felt the hands of his comrades grabbing him up as the world fell to stark blackness.

Another voice rose from his throat, someone else was moving his body.

"*Aniki!" the voice strained, sobbing in pain, and Akuma struggled for control, but in a moment, found himself stomped out and quieted.

Tatsuo opened his eyes for the first time in what felt like years, and all he saw was his brother's shaky form in the tree lines, past the view of the arrow buried deep within his ribs.

"Don't shoot, Kikyou!" Hisashi wailed as another holy arrow zipped by, and his own bow was dropped, charging towards the devil form that held his brother. The men that surrounded the horned deformity went to defend him with shields, but Tatsuo struggled, reaching for Hisashi with a sobbing scream.

"Aniki, help me!" he wailed, and Hisashi leapt over him, arms wrapping around his waist, knocking him out of the way of another of Kikyou's arrows that buried itself into the ground and shattered the earth.

Akuma's men looked between each other, stepping back as InuYasha and Kikyou landed next to the group, weapons lowered. Hyousuke stood away, feet frozen in shock.

"Tatsuo," Hisashi choked, cradling his brother's face, "You haven't called me that in years."

"Aniki, I can't control him, I can't get free, save me!" tears streaked down his face as he gripped at the arrow and Hisashi, panicked and quaking in fear. "I don't know how I'm in control, am I dying? Am I dying, Hisashi?" Blood stained his teeth as he spoke, and Hisashi choked out a sob at the sight.

"I don't know, I don't know, Tatsuo!" Hisashi looked to Kikyou with eyes wide and full of terror and rage. The miko recoiled, mortified, and Hisashi looked back to this brother.

Kikyou's face was stark white with shock as she looked to InuYasha. The hanyou stared at the pair with an intensity that was not concern or surprise, as if waiting.

"Take it out," Tatsuo begged, pleading to Hisashi. "It hurts so much, but I- I'm not fading, Aniki." With shaking hands, Hisashi removed it, taking special care not to break off the arrow head into his chest. Blood coated his palms and his brother garbled in a way that made the others choke, blood spraying over him in a cough. "I'm scared."

"Time to go. He's coming back." InuYasha growled, and he snatched Hisashi away from his brother with a force that made the human's shoulder pop. Hisashi threw his fist into InuYasha's cheek, yelling to be let go, but the hanyou only growled as he threw him back. "Hyousuke, get him and run! Go find Nariko!"

The noble didn't need any more instructions, tugging Hisashi back and forcing him to run with him with a frantic cry of _"Listen to me! There's nothing you can do!"_

The hole in Tatsuo's chest caught flame, seeming to burn itself back together as the wound suddenly healed, head whipping to look to Kikyou. "Help me!" he screamed, "Please, help me!"

Kikyou trembled.

Akuma's men stepped back at the sight, and it was apparent as the terrified demeanor dimmed and fell away and returned to their master's mind, back in control. Kikyou knocked back an arrow and aimed, expression running cold.

"You must be her." Akuma seethed, cradling his chest as he sat up. "The one the Fujiwara lord told me about."

"I will fire my arrow through your skull without a thought." She spoke, leveling his gaze.

Akuma chuckled, getting to his feet. "After seeing your friend's display, could you really kill the man I hold hostage? He's alive because of me, you know." He reached for his sword, and the albino snarled, the gauntlets over his forearms clanking as he hit a switch. Taking pause, he quirked a brow as he gave the leather-clad abomination a once over. "You're only a hanyou. How quaint. Is that why you chose to be her pet?"

"The fuck did you say?" InuYasha bit, but Kikyou shot him a glare.

"Now is not the time. Do not let him entice your anger. Control your mind, InuYasha." Kikyou's tone was sharp as her partner grit down on his teeth, ears docking back, nodding.

"You see? If you were going to kill me, would I not be dead?" Akuma chuckled, stepping closer to the miko. "The beautiful witch wants something."

"This human man cannot hold your form much longer, can he?" she cooed, looking him over with a look of compressed calm. "It is why your face and skin take on such a ghastly appearance." Eyebrows raising, his hand was nearly about his blade this time when the witch reached out and grabbed him, setting his arm aflame with her own powers. "You are desperate. Is that why you hunt his brother so? Do you wish to kill off the weakness, or obtain a new vessel?"

Tearing his arm away, the devil growled, anger boiling over. Dodging away from her, he moved in a flash, behind his men, who quaked in their boots. "How very observant." He bit out. "Yet your intelligence will get you nowhere. I thought to toy with you, but you talk too much." This time when he drug out his sword it was with a demonic swiftness, and his sword was raised and alight in a moment's time. InuYasha snatched Kikyou onto his back and leapt as quickly as he could, flames licking at their heels as Akuma summoned his fire.

"Let me shoot the sword from his palm," she demanded, and InuYasha growled.

"You crazy?!" he barked.

"Now!" she commanded, and he dipped and weaved in the air, her holy arrow firing past his cheek. Akuma dodged in a blink, disappearing from sight as the arrow sank into the earth. Reappearing before them, Akuma brought down his sword with a force that could shatter bones. InuYasha brought up his arm, meeting the sword with his elbow, relying on the fire rat to absorb the force of the blow. Kikyou reached over InuYasha's shoulder and gripped Akuma's face, searing his face with her reiki and blinding him momentarily. "Got you!" she gloated, breathlessly relieved her taunt had worked. She watched Akuma twisting and tumbling down to the ground in pain, landing with a cringe-worthy thud. "Run, InuYasha!"

He didn't need to be told twice. This time, when he set out at a run the hanyou refused to look back. Kikyou tucked her face into his hair to protect herself from the burning wind.

"Why didn't you just kill him, stupid?!"

"Killing the corpse will not kill Akuma."

"So what? Woulda bought us some time!" InuYasha barked, jostling her on his back as he cleared another canopy. Flames were erupting behind them, and he felt Kikyou cringe into him.

"Do not be foolish. Why do you think he had those men attending him? It is not as if he needs protection."

InuYasha finally skid to a halt as they leapt down and over a waterfall. "Hold your breath." He demanded, leaping in, and Kikyou sputtered and flailed in her heavy armor as they crashed into the water. Pulling her back up to the surface he dragged her beneath of canopy of rocks and shrubbery that framed the side of the water's current. She went to curse him, but his hand slapped over her mouth as he shushed her and held her still.

Akuma charged past them through the sky, smoke billowing from his nostrils as he smelled at the air. He gave pause, looking about in confusion, before roaring with rage and charging forward into the greater depths of the forest.

As he finally released her, Kikyou mopped her sopping bangs from her forehead, the charcoal about her eyes smearing down her porcelain cheeks. "How did you know that would work?"

"I didn't. Just done a lot of running away in my life." He admitted, pulling part of his sleeve loose and wiping away the mess that was running down her face. Kikyou's focus didn't change as she allowed him to clean her up. "So what were you sayin'?"

"We may be able to save Hisashi's brother." Exhaustion from the adrenaline was settling into her bones, and she sat down as InuYasha peered about, on edge. "Akuma needs a new vessel, and he doesn't seem to have much longer."

"Never picked you to be an idiot." He slurred, cutting her a disapproving glare.

"Because I am not one. You simply feel apprehensive of doing this a more difficult way."

"A lot more people are gonna die if we don't take him down quick, Kikyou."

"I am aware." She said calmly, looking out towards the direction Akuma had charged. "We only need to get the sword away from him."

"How you intend to do _that_?" he moaned.

"With this." Kikyou pulled the jewel up from her between her breasts, quirking a brow. "He needs only to think that he is smarter than I, and that he may take it from me. When he attacks, I will take the sword."

"What if you fail? You considerin' that?"

"What choice do we have?"

Groaning, InuYasha extended a hand to her, helping her up. "We gotta find the others. You catch your breath?"

"Yes." Kikyou replied. InuYasha bent down for her to climb onto his back, and as she did, the grip on her thighs grew tighter.

"I know you're compassionate, but I need you to really think about what's at stake here." His tone was sympathetic, and it took Kikyou aback. "It ain't worth it, Kikyou. You know that. It's probably better if he's in a weaker vessel… it might be what's giving us an upper hand. Hisashi's brother comes back when you shoot him."

A heaviness settled over her chest, and Kikyou bit her lip. "Perhaps we speak to Hisashi first."

He set off at a run, and the wind chilled her bones through her wet clothes.

"You can't save everybody, and I'm not lettin' you put your life at risk because you're afraid of hurting Hisashi."

Swallowing down a lump she hadn't realized had formed, Kikyou laid her head on his shoulders as they shot through the forest.

"He reminds me of a boy I wanted to save." She admitted softly. "His name was Kohaku."

"Well, he ain't that boy, and you gotta use that head of yours to realize that."

"You're right." She finally surrendered.

Nariko nearly jumped from her skin when she heard Hyousuke's frantic shouts. Snatching up her meteor chains, she whipped around to face him as he came running, Hisashi drug along by the wrist.

"You're safe!" he exclaimed, but his tear stained cheeks and panting breaths made the taijiya pause.

"What happened?" she faltered, and Hyousuke hit his knees, lungs burning and sweat pouring. Hisashi was drug down with him, and the large man crumbled, burying his face in his hands as he let out an angry, hopeless scream. The smell of fire hit her nose in a moment, and she felt her hands begin to shake as the pieces fell into place. "Hyousuke, who attacked you?"

"My brother!" Hisashi grit, fist hitting the ground. "Akuma!"

Looking between them, she dropped her weapons at her side, frantic. "What do you mean? Where are InuYasha and Kikyou?"

"I don't know." Hyousuke sobbed, hyperventilating, gripping Hisashi's hand. The ronin ripped himself from his grip, looking to his lover with a stare that could scald molten rock.

"You made me abandon him." He growled, and Hyousuke stared at him, stunned and bitter.

"He was going to kill you." He said softly, reaching forth, and Nariko clenched her fists, trying to take in all she could as Hisashi stood to his feet, pacing.

"He was conscious! Alive! And you and that goddamn dog made me leave him!"

"Quit!" Hyousuke shouted, "Don't take this out on me, I can't help you if you turn me into the enemy, Hisashi!" Hyousuke fought for an even breath, tears coming again, and he reached for Hisashi. "I know you're upset, I am so sorry. Let me _help_ you."

The ronin buried his face in his hands, and if he could have shattered into pieces, he would have. His composure turned to dust as tears began to stream, his breath was hot and much too shallow, and the world rushed in at an alarming pace, overwhelming and banging against his senses. His whole body shook and quivered, and Hyousuke grabbed him, holding him hard and fast against his chest. "He's still in there." Hisashi squalled, and Hyousuke held him tighter as sobs wracked his body. "Tatsuo is still in there, Hyousuke."

"I know." Hyousuke soothed, looking to Nariko, who took a step back, lips pursed and hands clasped. "I know, my love."

"He's my brother. I can't… I can't, Hyousuke."

The noble gave no response, only held him, waiting patiently for his panic to subside.

Nariko paced, knowing now was not the time for questions as Hisashi found some sense of calm. Looking out into the forest; she all but willed InuYasha and Kikyou to come back as she processed the information. When they appeared what felt like hours later, _though she was sure it had only been moments_ , she rushed them away from the pair of men, Hisashi still a mess in Hyousuke's arms. She noticed the way Kikyou's eyes grew wide and pained at the sight, InuYasha turning heel and walking away as if he'd been stung.

"Is Hisashi...?" Kikyou went to ask, but Nariko cut her off.

"Distraught. I've only gathered bits and pieces. His brother regained consciousness?"

Kikyou nodded, tucking wind tossed locks behind her ears. "Yes. When I fired my arrow into Akuma, his brother was able to regain control. I assume it is because I purified the vessel."

"Oh gods," Nariko breathed, "So that is why he is so inconsolable."

InuYasha stomped as he turned to face the taijiya, fists clenched. "We shoulda killed him." He barked, looking back to the pair. "If Hisashi hadn't jumped in, this shit would be over."

"You know it is not that simple." Kikyou bit, and Nariko pinched her brow.

"I need everyone to stop fighting and explain this to me, or I'll be the next in line to throw a fit."

Taking a seat on the forest floor, Kikyou motioned for Nariko to follow suit, InuYasha leaping into a tree in defiance. The taijiya took a seat next to Kikyou, who worked out her nerves by pulling on the frayed string in her sleeve. "Akuma needs a new vessel. Tatsuo's body is failing him. He keeps men at his side for temporary fixes should his corpse be felled, but I believe he wishes for something better. When I purify him, Hisashi's brother comes back into control. He is still very much alive."

Nariko bit her lip. "What do we do?"

"I wish to save him, but I will have to get Akuma alone."

"Not at option!" InuYasha growled.

Hisashi lumbered over to the group now, face red and swollen, but calmer. Hyousuke clung to his arm, determined. "How can we save him?"

"I have to get the sword away from Akuma… or urge him into a new vessel." Kikyou answered.

"So he can get stronger?" InuYasha flailed, leaping back down. "Do you not understand he's probably at his weakest right now?"

"He's my brother!" Hisashi shouted.

"Yeah, and how many other brothers is he gonna kill just so you can get yours back, damnit?"

"InuYasha, I won't let you kill him."

"I didn't ask your _permission_." InuYasha growled, "All of you are too damn tender-hearted. Look at the bigger picture, here." Hisashi reached back as if he meant to swing again, and InuYasha frowned. "I let you get one in on me before, but if you try to hit me again, I won't just push you away this time."

The ronin's fist lowered, helplessness clouding him over. "He's my brother, InuYasha."

"Then whatta you propose we do, Hisashi? Let him run rampant and risk Kikyou's life so you can get your brother back? Get a new vessel and get stronger so that _maybe_ Tatsuo will survive?"

Hisashi met his gaze with an earnest plea, but gave no response.

Nariko sighed. "InuYasha is right."

"You are all missing the point, and making this much too personal." Kikyou bit, looking over the group. "I have to get him alone, regardless of Tatsuo. If I do not, he will take another vessel. I have to make myself seem vulnerable and lure him to get the sword away. I have to make it known I have the jewel, just as I said. There is no other way."

"No!" Inuyasha's voice cracked, but Nariko groaned.

"Fine," the taijiya breathed, frazzled, "How do we do this?" she asked, though her eyes screamed frustration.

"I suppose we go to our original destination before… this. I am certain he will continue to look for us. He will look where he last found us."

"If that's our best option…" Hisashi fidgeted, looking to the miko.

"I will do all I can to save your brother." Kikyou spoke.

InuYasha bristled, squaring Kikyou out with his gaze. She looked to him defiantly, and he sneered, looking away and walking off.

"You need to talk to him," Hyousuke muttered, leading Hisashi to sit with him, "We'll get a fire started. We don't need to go into a town tonight… not with the fire hazard on our tails."

With a solemn nod Kikyou stood, following after the hanyou. "InuYasha?" she called after him, biting back the frustration in her voice.

"Guess my opinion doesn't fuckin' matter." He bit.

"You know that is not-"

"Actually," he growled, spinning to face her, "I don't. You act like nothing is at stake, here. You act like this is a lunch plan, Kikyou. It's a death sentence."

"This is my duty." She grit out, glaring. "This is what I must do, what I am meant to do."

"Shut up with that!" he fired off, closing in the space between them. "I won't let you do it!"

"Then stop me." She seethed.

His arms flew around her, holding her tight against his chest, and she squirmed in his hold. "InuYasha!"

"Don't be stupid." He gripped her tighter, and she felt the heat of his cheek press into her own.

"It is not stupidity! It is what must be done!"

"I don't wanna lose you again!" he finally pushed, letting her go and grabbing her shoulders. "Just don't go alone, you _stupid_ woman!"

"I am not more important than what must be done, just as his brother is not. You are being hypocritical, InuYasha."

Pausing, InuYasha dropped his arms limply to his side, looking at her with a face that had lost motivation. "Do what you want." His tone was even, bland.

"What?" she asked.

"Throw yourself away, then. Be stupid. That's what you do, right? You're a martyr. Handle things by yourself. You say you wanna just look vulnerable, but I see that look in your eyes."

"How dare you." She looked him over, shocked.

"How about we make a plan where we all lure him away. Take out his men in an ambush. See if we can end up saving his brother in the process. Something, any kind of better plan. How about that, Kikyou?"

"I hadn't thought of-"

"Yeah, well I did." He growled. "But no one fuckin' asked me because they're too busy acting like idiots. Like I said, my opinion don't matter."

"InuYasha, please..," she trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be so damn impulsive." He ground out, and this time, when he pulled her into his arms it was tender and coaxing.

She sank into his embrace, sighing deeply as her arms wrapped around him. "Forgive me for not listening to you. I am… I am overwhelmed."

"You think I can't see that?" he growled, a rough hand going to smooth her hair and pet her head, firm and soothing.

"Forgive me." She mewled, suddenly feeling small and irrational.

"How about you just start not being a stubborn mule, and we'll go from there." His anger began to leave him, and he smirked down at her.

"I believe that can be arranged." She smiled, looking up at him, and though she laughed at his jab her honeyed eyes were gleamed with apology.

He kissed her forehead, exhaling his frustration as he stepped away. "Let's get dry. I'm done talkin'. The group needs a break, much as I'd like to just get this over with."

She let him lead her back to the others without a word, the weight of the day sinking into her shoulders.

Hyousuke was trying his hardest to get a fire started, and Hisashi looked up to them, exhausted and hollow. He opened his mouth to speak, but faltered, clamping his mouth shut with a guilty expression.

Kikyou stepped away from InuYasha, kneeling before Hisashi. Looking him over, pity washed over her, and she brought up a gentle hand to touch his cheek. He choked out something like an _I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be selfish,_ but the words were jumbled with emotions he still couldn't express. Finally, she pulled him into her arms, his large frame weighing into her shoulder as she rubbed his back.

"I understand." She spoke gently, and Hyousuke looked to her, hopeful and thankful for the comfort she provided. He was admittedly in too much shock to provide more support.

InuYasha paced back to Nariko, who clapped a hand onto his shoulder. "Now," she breathed, "While they tend to one another, may we come up with something sensible?"

"Absolutely." InuYasha groaned, looking to her, and he was abruptly reminded of how thankful he was to have her as a friend. "I've been waitin' for someone to ask that."


End file.
